LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 




Chap77T_.._ Copyright No*__ 

Shelf/.. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 



¥ 

/Iftanual of /Habitations 

PREPARATORY TO THE FEASTS OF 

Our Lady's Immaculate Conception, of St. Joseph, 

and of the Visitation of the Most Blessed 

Virgin Mary, 

Followed by Meditations for the Feasts of 
St. Francis de Sales and St. Teresa 

AND A 

Novena in Preparation for the Feast of Pentecost. 



For the Use of the 



Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. 

t 




ST. LOUIS, MO. 1899. 

Published by B. HERDER, 

17 South Broadway. 








43184 

HIIv OBSTAT. 

udovici, die 3. Aprilis 1899. 

F. G. Hoi/weck, 

Censor theologicus. 



IMPRIMATUR. 
St. Louis, Mo., April 5th, 1899. 



t John J. Kain, 
Archbishop of St. Louis, Mo. 



fcECOKD c6HPy ri S ht > 1899, by Jos. Gummersbach. 
1 I A fcS. /V \ TWO copies REC1»VED« 




-BECKTOLD- 

PRINTING AND BOOK MFG. CO. 
ST. LOUIS. MO. 



uc! 






PREFACE 



TO satisfy the repeatedly expressed wish 
of many of our Sisters, it has been 
thought advisable to republish the little 
"Manual of Meditations" for the three 
yearly Triduums, and those preparatory to 
the feast of Pentecost. 

To them have been added Meditations 
for the feasts of St. Francis de Sales and 
St. Teresa, the two great patrons of our 
Congregation. 

In the preparation of this little volume, 
special pains have been taken to arrange 
the Meditations in conformity with the 
spirit and intentions suggested by our Con- 
stitutions, and much has been added from 
various great Saints and other approved 
Authors, so as to render the little Manual 
as helpful as possible, towards deriving 
from these annual seasons of grace and bene- 
diction all the devotion and spiritual profit, 
desirable for the souls of those who make 
use of the same. 



4 Preface. 

To enable our Sisters to become more 
intimately acquainted with the venerated 
Founders of our Congregation , a brief 
sketch of them, as obtained from the most 
authentic, reliable sources, will supplement 
the present little volume. 



Mother House, 
South St. Louis, Month of St. Joseph, 1899, 



Table of Contents, 



Page. 

Triduum preparatory to the feast of the Immaculate 

Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin 7 

i. Meditation — The Immaculate Conception of 

Mary 8 

2. Meditation— Mary, the Immaculate Virgin is 

our Mother *3 

3. Meditation— Our Immaculate Mother is the hon- 

or and glory of the Church Triumphant, the 
hope and joy of the Church Militant and the 
comfort and succor of the Church Suffering.... 22 
Triduum preparatory to the feast of our glorious 

Patron St. Joseph 33 

1. Meditation— St. Joseph is our Model 35 

2. Meditation— St. Joseph is our Guide 42 

3. Meditation— St. Joseph is our Patron 53 

Triduum before the feast of the Visitation of the 

Blessed Virgin, preparatory to the Renova- 
tion of Vows 58 

1. Meditation— Promptitude and obedience of our 

blessed Mother in this Mystery 59 

2. Meditation— The graciousness Charity in the 

conduct of the Blessed Virgin Mary 67 

3. Meditation— The Renovation of our holy Vows 78 

Meditation for the feast of St. Francis de Sales 90 

Meditation for the feast of St. Teresa 101 

Devotions and Meditations for the Novena prepar- 
atory to the feast of Pentecost 114 

Short sketch of the Founders of the Institute of St. 

Joseph of Puy l8 7 



Grttmum 

preparatory to tbe ffeast ot tbe Immao 

ulate Conception of tbe JBlessei) 

X&iVQin jflDar$* 

When Rev. Father John Paul Medaille, 
S. J. , our venerated Founder, first wrote the 
Constitutions for his little Congregation of 
St. Joseph, he desired particularly to im- 
press upon the Sisters a true love and devo- 
tion towards the Most Holy Virgin, Mother 
of God. From her they were to learn, and 
through her powerful intercession seek to 
obtain, the grace of fidelity to all the graces 
the Holy Spirit granted to them. 

Among the three Triduums prescribed 
during the year, two are in honor of our 
Blessed Mother — that preceding the feast 
of the Immaculate Conception being the 
first in the order of time, in the Ecclesias- 
tical year. 

Let us, therefore, in the spirit of our 
saintly Founder, offer these days of recol- 
lection and prayer that the Immaculate 
Virgin may obtain for us a great purity of 
intention in our actions and whole conduct, 
and a great fidelity to all the graces, the 
Lord may deign to confer upon us. 

(7) 



8 Manual of Meditations. 

Let us also ask that we may conceive 
great designs, and entertain ardent desires 
for the dear interests of Jesus and the sal- 
vation of souls. 

FIRST MEDITATION. 
Mary's Immaculate Conception. 

First Prelude : Let us devoutly reflect on 
this great and singular privilege of Mary 
and, uniting with Holy Church, let us par- 
ticipate in the universal joy and admiration 
to which she gives expression in her sacred 
Liturgy on the vigil of this feast, when she 
sings : " Who is she that cometh forth as the 
morning, rising fair as the moon, bright as 
the sun, terrible as an army set in array? " 

Second Prelude : Ask through the power- 
ful intercession of our Immaculate Mother 
that you may obtain a true knowledge of her 
greatness in reference to Grod, and learn to 
duly appreciate her merciful and compas- 
sionate goodness towards us, her sorrowing 
children, still in the exile of this world. 

I. POINT. 

Mary is the chosen one of the Ever Blessed 
Trinity — the elected daughter of the Father, 
— the predestinated Mother of the Son — 
and the chosen Spouse of the Holy Grhost. 



Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 9 

All qualities, natural, as well as super- 
natural that were becoming the Mother of 
God, were lavished upon her. These were 
hers from the first moment of her existence, 
and she was the object of God's peculiar 
love and complacency. It was fitting that, 
she who was to be the Mother of the God- 
man should be, in every way, worthy of 
Him. Never did sin, nor the breath of sin 
tarnish the bright mirror of her matchless 
purity. "Thou art all beautiful, O Mary, 
and the original stain is not in thee," sings 
Holy Church in the Mass of this great feast. 
And again: "Glorious things are said of 
thee, Mary: and He that is mighty hath 
done great things for thee." "Thou art 
the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of 
Israel, thou art the honor of our people." 

How truly great and admirable are the 
privileges of Mary ! But among the glorious 
array of all her gifts none shines forth with 
such heavenly splendor, as that of her 
Immaculate Conception. It is the most 
beautiful gem in her queenly crown. 

Let us rejoice in the glory of our Immac- 
ulate Mother and return our fervent thanks 
to the Most Holy Trinity for all the gifts 
and graces bestowed upon her, but chiefly 
for the priceless privilege of her Immacu- 
late Conception. Let us ask our heavenly 



10 Manual of Meditations . 

Mother to obtain for us great purity of 
heart, of soul and body, a great hatred of 
sin, and the love of mortification and pen- 
ance, — virtues which will help us, always 
to preserve the priceless treasure of holy 
purity. 

II. POINT. 

Jesus, the Eternal Sun of justice who 
came into the world by Mary, to enlighten 
them that sit in darkness and the shadow of 
death, wishes that we also should go to Him 
through her. He will not fail to enlighten 
us by means of that beautiful star — our 
true 'Star of Jacob' — who, as the great St. 
Bernard says, is the clear and brilliant star 
which is raised far above the wide and 
spacious sea of this world. 

Over this she shines by the lustre of her 
virtues, her merits, her beautiful examples. 
— This benignant Star sheds brilliancy 
not only by innumerable proofs of her in- 
comparable power, but especially by the 
countless multitude of her favors, and by 
her exceeding compassionate goodness and 
mercy towards us. "Hail full of grace 7 ' 
and "thou hast found grace with the Lord" 
said the Angel who announced to her the 
Incarnation of the Word. If Mary is laden 
with gifts and graces, it is that she may 



Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 11 

give us of her superabundance. Grladly 
will she make us partakers in her treasures, 
if we only ask her for them. 

What has been the measure of our confi- 
dence in Mary during the past? What have 
we done, to practice and promote devotion 
to her ? In times of trial, in our conflicts 
with Satan, the world and our own unhal- 
lowed passions, have we been faithful to 
call upon Mary? Have we looked up for 
light and guidance in the darkness of our 
exile to our beautiful ocean-star, shining 
with the brightness of her Son who is the 
true light of the world ? 

We are sailing upon a raging sea full of 
dangerous rocks. How greatly do we need 
light to direct us into the secure way! Let 
us beseech Mary to enlighten our minds 
which are merged in darkness. 

Let us ask her to make us docile to the 
truth. She is our Mother, and a Mother 
most merciful who will not fail to compas- 
sionate her sorrowful children, and direct 
their course into the safe haven of endless 
peace and rest. 

Let us often salute the Angels of Mary, 
and humbly ask them to carry our messages 
of love and gratitude and our petitions to 
her. Our blessed Mother, who never leaves 
any act of devotion to her unrewarded, can- 



12 Manual of Meditations . 

not fail to be pleased with these childlike 
marks of affection and confidence. 

III. POINT. 

Life is a perilous passage. Grod is its end. 
We cannot have a safer guide than Mary. 
She is the model of all virtues. She is also 
the treasurer of Grod's graces and is ready 
and willing to bestow them on us. We 
cannot stray in following her. If we think 
of, honor and pray to her we are sure to 
triumph over the devil. It suffices not, to 
navigate safely; we must also reach the 
port of salvation. Mary who knows the 
way perfectly well, will conduct us thither. 
She entered there herself by her fidelity to 
grace. We are invited and encouraged to 
follow her by our venerated Founder, and 
it is this fidelity to grace that he wishes us 
to obtain through our blessed Mother T s pow- 
erful intercession, as one of the chief fruits 
of this Triduum consecrated to her honor. 

Are we faithful in instilling devotion to 
our Immaculate Mother in the minds of 
the persons we instruct, the children whom 
we educate; into the sick whom we nurse, 
the poor and unfortunate whom we visit 
and succor. What more powerful motives 
of consolation and encouragement than to 
show them Our Immaculate Mother, as the 



Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 13 

comfortress of the afflicted, the health of 
the sick, the refuge of sinners, the help of 
christians ! 

Let us teach them, and ask them to teach 
others that well-known and beautiful prayer, 
called the Memorare of Saint Bernard. 

In writing of Mary, this great Saint ex- 
presses himself thus: " When we think of 
and follow Mary, we cannot go astray. 
When we pray to her, we need never des- 
pair of being heard. When she upholds, 
we cannot fall. When she protects, no 
danger can betide us. When she leads, our 
following can never weary. In our perils, 
in the strait and tortuous ways, let us have 
recourse to Mary. When we invoke her 
holy name, we find ourselves at once reliev- 
ed and delivered from our pains. " 

Colloquy with the Saints who were espec- 
ially devout to the Blessed Virgin. Ask 
them to obtain for you a true devotion to 
the great Queen of Heaven. 



SECOND MEDITATION. 
Mary the Immaculate Virgin is Our Mother. 

First Prelude : Imagine you hear our Bless- 
ed Mother giving praise and thanks to Grod 
in the voice of Holy Church who in the 



14 Manual of Meditations. 

Gradual of the Mass for the vigil of this 
great feast sings thus: "Come and attend 
to me all you that fear Grod, and see how 
much the Lord hath done for my soul ! 

Eejoice in Grod all the earth, sing psalms 
unto his holy Name: give glory unto Him." 

Second Prelude: Humbly beseech Mary 
to obtain for you a grateful heart, and a 
cheerful, generous spirit of unselfishness 
and sacrifice. 

I. POINT. 

Our whole life ought to be a continual 
succession of acts of thanksgiving and 
gratitude to Grod for all His mercies and 
undeserved kindness towards us. But de- 
scending into particulars, we should thank 
Him every day for having made us children 
of the true Church. Ah, if we could but 
thoroughly understand this inestimable 
grace ! 

" After all," said St. Teresa on her death- 
bed in an extasy of joyous gratitude, " After 
all, I am a child of the Holy Catholic 
Church." 

Then, what praises do we owe our Lord 
for having led us so sweetly into the i en- 
closed garden' of holy religion where we 
are swimming, so to say, in an ocean of 
graces: where we are daily breathing the 



Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 15 

atmosphere of holiness: where we are se- 
curely sheltered from the poisonous vapors 
rising out of the whirlpool of a perverted 
and perverting world for which the Son of 
G-od 'would not pray' on the eve of His 
sacred passion. 

And what a mother has He not given us 
in Maiy! — His own Immaculate Mother! — 
What a father and patron in the person of 
His own Foster-father, by whose name He 
desires us to be known in His Church! 

Shall we ever be able to thank Him for 
the least of His benefits? Let us humbly sup- 
plicate the Sacred Heart of Jesus to offer to 
His Heavenly Father, for our shortcomings 
His own most worthy praises and thanks- 
givings and those of His Blessed Mother in 
her glorious canticle — the Magnificat. 

All our Lady's feasts, but especially that 
of her Immaculate Conception, ought to 
be for us seasons of joy and affectionate 
thanksgiving: not only on account of all 
that we have received through her immacu- 
late hands, but also because of the advance- 
ment of the dear interests of Jesus, and of 
the joy and glory that redounds to God in 
the possession of at least one creature who 
is and ever has been all His own. On her 
He can look with unmixed favor. Never 
has the enemy had any part in her. She 



16 Manual of Meditations. 

is a flower in His garden on whose snowj 
petals there is no stain. 

One of the humiliations of this life is to 
find nothing perfect in it. There are always 
limitations and infirmities, something even 
in the best and holiest which we have tc 
bear with and forgive. But in thinking oi 
our Immaculate Mother, we are able to rest 
our hearts on a spotless ideal, on a ilosI 
perfect creature. 

Let us rejoice in our Lady's gifts and 
graces, and give thanks to Grod for them. 
By doing so we shall oblige and please her, 
who is the most grateful of God's creatures, 

II. POINT. 

By giving Mary to us as our Mother, hei 
Divine Son has so ordered things that she 
is in closer and more real relations with us 
than any other creature : for there can be 
no tie so close as that of mother and child. 

Now, this all-pure and spotless Mother in 
whom sin has absolutely no part, is at the 
same time the Refuge of Sinners. She 
reflects in a peculiar way, and by a peculiar 
privilege, the boundless compassion of Grod. 
The Saints are saints only in so far as they 
are like God : and the more they are like 
Him, the greater is their sanctity. 

But none are so like Him as those whose 



Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 17 

hearts are full of compassion for sinners — 
for the wretched — for the miserable of all 
kinds. This is the great distinguishing 
feature in the character of all the great 
servants of Grod. They do not judge, they 
do not hold themselves apart , they do not 
despair of sinners. They are their advo- 
cates and servants. They are ready to live 
and die, as their Master lived and died, for 
their salvation. " Jesus Christ/ 7 says the 
Apostle, "came into the world to save sin- 
ners/' and this being so, his servants must 
do the same. Should not the spouses of 
Jesus Christ be in some sort regarded as the 
refuge of sinners ! Like our sweet Immacu- 
late Mother they should have a wonderful 
tenderness for weak and wandering souls. 
How many souls may be saved by only 
caring for them ! And what else should we 
have in view, when caring for the bodily 
wants — when nursing the bodily ills of our 
neighbor, but the salvation of his soul? Is 
it this chiefly, that we seek? Then, let our 
eyes roam, just for a moment, over this 
broad land of ours with its millions of souls 
who know nothing of Grod, — souls perishing 
for the want of that bread which gives and 
sustains life — souls hungry for the word of 
Grod who, for the want of missionaries and 
means, could not as yet be reached. These 



18 Manual of Meditations. 

are confided to the compassionate charity 
of the spouses of our Lord. They are given 
to us that we may bring them to the sheep- 
fold of Christ, the true and loving Shepherd 
of the flock purchased with His Blood. 

How can we do it? By humble fervent 
prayer and supplication accompanied by 
acts of mortification and self-sacrifice ; by 
being zealous in instructing children in cat- 
echism ; by making use of every opportunity 
to instruct in the truths of our holy religion, 
those who apply to us, and by being really 
and entirely what we pretend to be: — true 
religious not unworthy of the name that, 
according to the words of the gospel, "our 
light may shine before men, in order that 
they may praise our Father who is in 
heaven. " 

If catholics in general, and religious in 
particular were always true to their colors, 
really unworldly and animated by a spirit 
of faith, how soon would the eyes of those 
around us be opened to the truth ! 

How can we better honor our Immaculate 
Mother who is the duly-chosen Patroness 
of our country than by taking a lively inter- 
est in the salvation of the souls that dwell 
therein ! Let all such souls find in us help 
and pity. Very often they can only be 
reached through their body. Let us do 



Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 19 

willingly and cheerfully what we can to 
help and console them, never thinking we 
do too much : nor ought we ever to measure 
our devotion to them by their gratitude. 
Jesus, our divine Saviour with His Immacu- 
late Mother and St. Joseph ought to be our 
only models in the exercise of our charity. 

As our Lord has committed to His blessed 
Mother the ministry of his loving kindness, 
so He seems to have done something the 
same for his spouses. He has made religi- 
ous the ministering angels, not of justice, 
but of charity and long-suffering, that true 
mercy, which really means having a heart 
for the miserable. 

May our dearest Mother obtain this grace 
for us, so that as we cannot imitate her in 
her one great privilege of being exempt 
from sin, we may yet become like her in 
her merciful compassion. 

III. POINT. 

Our Blessed Mother never tires of our 
importunities. She permits us to take all 
sorts of little liberties with her. Of course, 
what explains it is that she is a great vessel 
of compassion. 

It is her characteristic, as it was that of 
her Divine Son whose perfections she re- 
flects. One of our Lord's favorite sayings 



20 Manual of Meditations. 

was "I have compassion on the multitude. " 
In working his most wonderful miracles, 
"He was moved with compassion. " 

But we need not seek scripture proofs to 
assure us of the loving compassion of Grod. 
Our own personal experience can bear out 
this testimony, a hundred and a thousand- 
fold. 

But have we ever sounded the depths of 
the mysteries of the Divine Compassion? 
Let us consider what it implies. Our Blessed 
Lady will teach us. Nothing really could 
do our heart more good, than to meditate 
often on the compassion of God and His 
Blessed Mother. 

Let us especially often and seriously re- 
flect on the parable of the servant who would 
not forgive his fellow-servant a hundred 
pence, when his Lord had had compassion 
on him and forgiven him ten thousand tal- 
ents. The apostle tells us, not only to be of 
one mind, but to be 'having compassion 
one for another 7 not merely to be compas- 
sionate to the poor and sick whom we visit, 
or find begging at our door, but compas- 
sionate one to another. 

In the forty-fourth Psalm the Royal 
Prophet says to our Lord : "Grace is poured 
forth on thy lips" — words which are daily 
repeated in the Office of the Blessed Virgin, 



Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 21 

and which signify that the words uttered 
by our Lord and His blessed Mother were 
gracious, tender, compassionate. 

When we are tempted to say, we cannot 
work with one, or get on with another — 
that one is so trying and another so irritat- 
ing, all would be remedied with a little more 
compassion, forbearance, pity for each 
other's defects and infirmities. 

Let us consider our compassionate Lord 
who always took the part of those whom 
others complained of. He took the part of 
Mary Magdalen, when Martha complained 
of her ; praised her, when Judas the traitor, 
would have condemned her lavishness : the 
part of His Apostles against the Pharisees, 
and although He could not excuse the sin of 
the poor creature whom these had brought 
to Him, yet He would not condemn her. 
the boundless compassion of God towards 
His poor, erring creatures! These are lovely 
examples for us to reflect and meditate on. 

We cannot imitate our Lord in His mir- 
acles ; but in His Divine Compassion we can 
and must, if we do not wish to be separated 
from Him and His blessed Mother forever. 

Would it not be very inconsistent to call 
ourselves children of Mary, if we bore no 
sort of resemblance to our Mother? If she 
could just take her place in a religious com- 



22 Manual of Meditations . 

munity for a month, would she not turn it 
into a heaven on earth, simply by the daily 
exercise of that sweet loving compassion 
which would make her tender, pitiful, cour- 
teous, long-suffering and tolerant with the 
least of God's creatures with whom she lived. 

Let us ask her to teach us all the sweet 
graciousness of charity, and then this little 
corner of St. Joseph garden will daily bud 
forth fresh flowers flagrant with the odors 
of Paradise. 

Colloque with St. Raphael Archangel — 
the angel of joy and gladness — the healer 
and comforter in human sorrows, the min- 
istering spirit of God's comforts to man. 



THIRD MEDITATION. 

Mary Immaculate is the Honor and Glory of the 

Church Triumphant, the Hope and the Joy 

of the Church Militant, and the Comfort 

and Succor of the Church Suffering. 

First Prelude: Imagine you hear the 
magnificent chant of Holy Church during 
the Mass of this great feast who, addressing 
Mary, sings thus : 

"Thou art all beautiful, Mary, and the 
stain original is not in thee! " Alleluja! 



Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 23 

And again: "Glorious things are said of 
thee, thou City of Grod! Thou art the glory 
of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel, 
thou art the honor of our people! " 

Second Prelude : Humbly ask our Blessed 
Lady that according to the words of our 
saintly Founder "You may conceive great 
designs for the advancement of Grod's glory 
and the salvation of souls. " 

With all possible fervor and child-like 
confidence ask this as the special fruit of 
this meditation. 

I. POINT. 

0, how great is the honor and glory re- 
flected upon all the inhabitants of the heav- 
enly Jerusalem by the singular privilege of 
Mary's Immaculate Conception ! All heaven 
rejoices, the earth is made glad and hell 
trembles at seeing the sign of the "woman 
clothed with the sun, the moon under her 
feet and crowned with twelve stars. " Holy 
Mother Church here on earth celebrates this 
feast with great splendor. It will also be 
gloriously solemnized in heaven. But how 
paltry our earthly celebrations and ceremo- 
nies must appear, when compared with 
those of the heavenly Jerusalem ! Yet they 
have this advantage : that by devoutly en- 
tering into the spirit of this great solemnity 



24 Manual of Meditations . 

with the dispositions of our Blessed Mother, 
we shall not fail to obtain a special partici- 
pation in the graces flowing from this 
mystery and an augmentation of merit for 
eternity. The Saints in heaven cannot 
merit any more. Their time for gathering 
eternal treasures is past. They are now en- 
joying what they have earned during their 
life time: while we, exiled children of Eve, 
being still in this land of trial, have it in our 
power, by constant and persevering fidelity 
to grace, to increase our merits and ensure 
our reward in the life to come. 

Let us ask our Blessed Mother to help us 
to make a good and holy use of our present 
opportunities. The past we cannot recall ; 
but by humility and repentance we may 
obtain pardon and mercy for graces so wil- 
fully neglected. It is only in the living 
present that "we can make our calling and 
election sure." 

Ascending to-day in spirit into heaven, 
let us with the eyes of a lively faith contem- 
plate the glory of our Immaculate Mother 
in the midst of the angels and saints — happy 
subjects of her imperial realm. With what 
joy do they contemplate her beauty, with 
what exultation celebrate her praises ! She 
is loved and cherished by the Most Blessed 
Trinity, served by the angels, blessed by the 



Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 25 

patriarchs, admired by the prophets, revered 
by the apostles, glorified by the martyrs, 
honored by the confessors, followed by the 
virgins and praised by all the saints of 
Gi-od. Let us unite with them all in giving 
praise and thanks to the Ever Blessed Trin- 
ity for all the graces and favors granted to 
Mary, but especially her Immaculate Con- 
ception — a privilege with which she alone 
in all the earth, was favored. Hence, Holy 
Church in the Mass of this great feast, con- 
gratulating her, addresses her thus : 

"Blessed art thou, O Mary, by the Lord 
Grod, most high, above all the women of 
the earth! 

Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou 
art the joy of Israel, thou art the honor of 
our people!" 

In thanking our Lord for the gifts granted 
to our Lady, let us remember that in her, 
as in a fruitful soil, they grew and increased 
without any impediment, and fructified a 
hundred and a thousandfold even to the 
perfection of consumate sanctity : and it was 
her perfect fidelity to grace which obtained 
for her such immense glory in heaven. 

After congratulating our Blessed Mother 
on the feast of to-morrow, on her graces 
and privileges, her joys and her glory, let 
us beg of her to obtain for us a faithful cor- 



26 Manual of Meditations . 

respondence with the graces, our Lord may 
deign to confer on us : ask the gift of final 
perseverance, and perseverance in our holy 
vocation. These are graces we cannot 
merit: — but they will be granted to perse- 
vering fervent prayer. May our Immaculate 
Mother obtain them for us, that we may 
one day have the happiness of seeing and 
praising her in the glory of paradise. 

II. POINT. 

The honor of our Lord is greatly pro- 
moted by the honor shown to His Blessed 
Mother. The whole history of the Church, 
from the Apostles down to the present, 
shows how near and dear devotion to her is 
to His Divine Heart : while the facts of all 
ages, but especially those truly great and 
strikingly wonderful events which have 
taken place in our own times, clearly demon- 
strate, how much and how intimately Mary 
is connected and identified with the inter- 
ests of Jesus and the salvation of souls. 

Jesus has placed His Immaculate Mother 
in the front of His Church to be its bulwark : 
— A token of all good, and a stumbling 
block of His enemies. Within our own 
century, at a period, when society saw itself 
on the eve of one of the most terrible polit- 
ical and moral convulsions, when, owing to 



Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 27 

the unhappy dissemination of pernicious 
literature, thousands of christian families 
were threatened with loss of faith and be- 
coming demoralized, our Blessed Mother, in 
pity descended among the children of men 
to warn, to exhort and fortify them against 
the seductions of the enemy of mankind, 
the flattery of the world and the opposition 
of their own unruly passions. 

With what refinement of maternal tender- 
ness does she not employ every means to 
rescue her poor erring children from the 
slavery which threatens and from dangers 
and chastisements which menace them! 

The multiplied wonderful conversions 
consequent upon the establishment of the 
Archconf raternity of the Immaculate Heart 
of Mary — the numberless extraordinary 
favors, temporal as well as spiritual, follow- 
ing the manifestation of the Miraculous 
Medal to one of the daughters of St. Vincent 
de Paul, and a few years later, the appari- 
tion of our Blessed Lady on the Mountain of 
La Salette, where she wept over the crimes 
of men, and deplored the unhappy lot of 
sinners, promising mercy and pardon to the 
repentant and threatening with chastise- 
ment the impenitent and obdurate : — all 
these events speak loudly of the maternal 
love of Mary for the children of the Church 



28 Manual of Meditations. 

engaged in deathly struggle with, powerful 
enemies, where the outcome is, for certain 
souls, often so hazardous, so uncertain. 
But they also tell of her unspeakably great 
influence with her Divine Son, and the 
immense power she wields over Satan and 
his rebel crew. Mary is the treasurer of the 
graces flowing from the Sacred Heart from 
which she can draw at pleasure, to distrib- 
ute, to her needy children. 

She is truly the hope and the joy of the 
Church Militant who in her beautiful Anti- 
phon, the " Salve Regina" which is repeated 
daily by millions of the faithful, invokes 
Mary as "our life, our sweetness and our 
hope." 

Let us rejoice that we are children of the 
Holy Catholic Church which Glod never 
ceases to visit, with which he ever continues 
to dwell in the Holy Eucharist, and whose 
interests have a most powerful advocate in 
our heavenly Mother. 

Among all the wonders operated through 
Mary in our times, none are so striking 
as those of Lourdes. In the miracles of 
Lourdes God prepared a new glory for the 
Immaculate Conception. It is in honor of, 
and by the favor of the Immaculate Con- 
ception that cures shall gush forth from 
that miraculous fountain, and sinners shall 



Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 29 

find the joys of mercy in the graces flowing 
from the Immaculate Conception of our 
Blessed Mother. 

What, in truth, is the grace of the mys- 
tery of the Immaculate Conception, if it be 
not the grace of total triumph of the Blessed 
Virgin over Satan? She crushes his head, 
and on that account, he can do nothing 
against her. From Mary this grace of in- 
nocence and victory flows into the Church, 
in order that she also may totally triumph 
over the old serpent who, for six thousand 
years, has seduced the world. Armed with 
the grace of the Immaculate Conception, 
assisted by her Queen — ' the Virgin conceived 
without sin' — the Church will crush the ser- 
pent's head and triumph over her enemies. 

The mystery of the Immaculate Concep- 
tion is the precious pearl of our century, and 
the shield of the Church in the struggles of 
the latter times which are approaching. 

The great miracle of Lourdes, unique in 
its kind, is, as it were, the heavenly crown- 
ing of the dogmatic definition of Dec. 8th, 
1854: it seems to be the echo, the divine 
reflection thereof. 

All of us, faithful children of Mary, liv- 
ing members and spouses of Jesus Christ, 
let us arm ourselves with a strong faith, 
following in the beloved footsteps of the 



30 Manual of Meditations. 

1 Virgin without stain/ that at the hour of 
our death she may find us prepared, to enter 
with the wise Virgins into the possession of 
our heavenly inheritance. 

III. POINT. 

Mary Immaculate is not only the honor 
and glory of the Church triumphant, the 
joy and the hope of the Church militant, 
but also the comfort, the consolation and 
the succor of the Church suffering in pur- 
gatory. how great is her pity and com- 
passion for these dear souls who are the 
beloved spouses of Jesus Christ ! Will she 
not rejoice in the many prayers and suf- 
frages that will be offered by the faithful 
for their release and succor on occasion of 
to-morrow's great solemnity? 

It is on account of her that the children 
of the Church militant are mindful of their 
suffering brethren, detained for a time, in 
the purifying flames of this region of pain. 
Mary is their Mother still, and loving them 
with a true Mother's love, she ardently 
longs for them to be with her in the glory 
of paradise. To reach there speedily, they 
stand in need of the suffrages of Holy 
Church. If therefore, we desire to give real 
joy to Mary and to please her in a special 
manner, let us offer prayers and supplica- 



Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 31 

tions, small penances, slight privations — no 
matter how small — little sacrifices of our 
ease and convenience, yielding rights and 
points of honor, etc., with all the indulgen- 
ces we shall be able to gain, into the blessed 
hands of our Immaculate Mother, as a spir- 
itual bouquet for this feast so dear to her, 
that she may apply them according to the 
needs and conditions of the dear suffering 
souls. 

May our Sweet Lady of Lourdes, the 
mother all-merciful, by the bright light of 
faith lead her children to an increase of 
good works for the benefit of the faithful 
departed. 

O Mother Immaculate ! Thou didst show 
thyself to Bernardette all beautiful, adorned 
with a beauty not of earth, but a spiritual 
beauty which is of Grod, obtain that by 
satisfactory works of penance and expiation 
we may help thee to restore to their pristine 
beauty the holy souls detained far from 
heaven and thee. Through the mystery of 
thy Immaculate Conception, so greatly glor- 
ified in our days and crowned with the halo 
of unnumbered and continued miracles at 
Lourdes, we humbly pray thee, obtain a 
copious stream of the precious blood of thy 
beloved Son to descend into purgatory, to 
cleanse, purify and adorn the suffering souls 



32 Manual of Meditations. 

and prepare them for a joyous participation 
in the glory of thy eternal festival in heaven. 

In concluding this meditation let us make 
a colloque with the great St. Cyril, Father 
of the Church, so truly devoted to Mary, 
and join with him in his canticle of praise 
to the Mother of God: 

"Hail O Mary! Mother of God, rich treas- 
ure of the world, inextinguishable lamp, 
crown of virginity, sceptre of true doctrine, 
temple which cannot fall, the residence of 
Him whom no place can contain, Mother 
and Yirgin, by whom He is, who cometh 
blessed in the name of the Lord ! Hail Mary, 
who in thy Yirgin-womb contained Him 
who is immense and incomprehensible! 
Thou, through whom the Blessed Trinity is 
glorified and adored, through whom heaven 
exults, the angels rejoice, the devils are 
banished, the tempter disarmed, through 
whom the creature that was fallen is restored 
to heaven and comes to the knowledge of 
the truth, through whom churches are 
founded, and nations brought to penance, 
through whom the only-begotten Son of 
God has come to us ! 

Intercede for the people, mediate for the 
clergy and pray for the devout female sex." 



fl&eMtations 

for tbe Uri&uum preparatory to tbe 

jf east of our 1bols ffatber 

St* Josepb* 

Christians and much more religious can- 
not meditate too deeply on the life and vir- 
tues of the glorious St. Joseph, on his holy 
death, his power with God and the care he 
extends to the faithful devoted to him ; but 
there are none to whom these consoling 
and instructive facts should be more the 
special subjects of meditation than to us. 

Placed by our venerated Founder under 
the kind guardianship of this admirable 
Saint, he is in a particular manner, the 
patron of our Institute, — that is to say, he 
is our Model, our Guide, and our Protector. 

We ought, then, by meditation, study his 
perfections for the purpose of imitating 
them — listen to his teachings that we may 
put them in practice — and give ourselves a 
just idea of his power of intercession with 
God, so as to have the greatest confidence 
in him. 

It is impossible to meditate on this great 
servant of God without considering him in 

(33) 



34 Manual of Meditations . 

his relation to Jesus, the eternal Son of 
God, and Mary, His Immaculate Mother. 
It is, therefore, from this standpoint that 
we always consider St. Joseph — from his 
intimate connection with Jesus and Mary. 

To meditate on St. Joseph is eminently 
calculated to make us lead a life of faith. 
The prerogatives and virtues of our holy 
Patron will be a source of the most salutary 
thoughts and holiest aspirations to us, and 
such as are admirably in keeping with our 
holy state. There is in these a true spiritual 
treasury from which we can never draw too 
much, and whose effect will surely be to 
elevate our thoughts to the things of Grod, 
to lead us to the practices of the interior 
life, and to procure for us the sweetest con- 
solations. 

While meditating on St. Joseph we, more- 
over, instruct ourselves admirably in our 
duties, as regards the interior life ; as well 
as the service of our neighbor to which our 
holy vocation as members of this Institute 
obliges us. From our holy Patron we are 
told to learn the science of prayer and true 
union with Grod; and again, it is to this 
loving Protector we are sent by our vener- 
ated founder to be taught the exercise of 
charity and zeal in the service of our neigh- 
bor. Let us, therefore, "go to St. Joseph 



Feast of St. Joseph. 35 

and do all that he shall say to us." With 
all the intensity of fervor of which we are 
capable, let us enter into the spirit of this 
little Triduum in preparation for the feast 
of our glorious Patriarch, in order to secure 
the continuance of his powerful protection 
on our Congregation and the advancement 
of its members in all virtues. 



FIRST MEDITATION. 
St. Joseph our Model. 

First Prelude : Let us enter in spirit into 
the holy house of Nazareth, the true model 
of every religious house, and admiring with 
the angels of God the ravishing picture pre- 
sented there to us by the Holy Family, let 
us imagine our holy father St. Joseph say- 
ing to us these words of the Apostle: "Be 
ye followers of me as I am of Christ. " 

Second Prelude: Ask this amiable Saint 
to give you an insight into the holy dispo- 
sitions which animated him in his daily life 
and actions. 

I. POINT. 

The Excellence of oar Model. 

The masters of the spiritual life, and 
among others, St. Francis de Sales and St. 



36 Manual of Meditations. 

Teresa represent St. Joseph to us as the 
perfect model for religious persons and our 
venerated Founder, Rev. Father P. Medaille, 
S. J., in treating of the plan of our Congre- 
gation, writes these beautiful words: 

"Ever mindful that the mystery of the 
Blessed Eucharist is the model upon which 
our little Congregation was formed, our 
dear Sisters ought to cherish an immense 
love and an ever increasing devotion to this 
Most Holy Sacrament which, having given 
life and being to our humble Institute, will 
also cause it to advance and increase in the 
virtues of humility, charity, sweetness, self 
annihilation and hiddenness of which our 
Lord has made it the depositary, and which 
are so sublimely set forth in this adorable 
Mystery. For this end, it has been confided 
to the special guardianship of St. Joseph, 
the most humble and most hidden of all 
the Saints." 

What a subject for meditation! What 
cause for sincerest gratitude to be thus 
placed under the custody of so great a 
Saint, — to have so amiable a model before 
our eyes upon which to fashion ourselves ! 

"G-o" said the Lord to Moses in directing 
him to make the ark of the covenant, "go 
and make it according to the pattern." St. 
Joseph, then, is our pattern which we must 



Feast of St. Joseph. 37 

ever keep in view, if we desire to render 
ourselves pleasing to God. Our soul, the 
temple of the Holy Ghost, so frequently the 
dwelling of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, 
is the ark which we must strive to adorn 
according to the pattern. 

How beautiful is this pattern!— an object 
of complacency in the sight of the Most 
Holy Trinity, the comfort and solace of the 
Virgin Mother, and the joy and delight of 
the Heart of the Infant-God ! 

How holy and perfect is this pattern! 
Our blessed Patron was himself taught in 
the school of Divine Wisdom. He was 
formed and fashioned by Jesus and Mary, 
the holiest and most perfect persons on earth 
and, as he was docility itself, it can be 
easily imagined with what fidelity he stored 
all heavenly knowledge and endeavored to 
put it in practice. 

II. POINT. 

The Virtues of St. Joseph. 

St. Joseph was eminently a man of faith. 
He looks at everything from a supernatural 
point of view. He does nothing through 
human motives. Each of his actions has 
its source in the Holy Ghost. Therefore,, 
he excelled in the spirit of faith which ought 
to be the very foundation of religious. 



38 Manual of Meditations. 

In how far does iny faith resemble that 
of my holy Patron? Do I accustom myself 
to look at things in the light of eternity, or 
do I let nature prevail, and explain and in- 
terpret matters according to its dictates? 
My beloved Father, intercede for thy child 
and obtain for me a large share in thy spirit 
of faith. 

Joseph practised in its perfection the vir- 
tue of obedience. He obeyed without delay, 
without offering pretexts or excuses, and 
without complaint, showing that his will 
was absolutely conformed to that of Grod. 

In sight of the sublime obedience of my 
holy Patron, have I not cause to be ashamed 
of my poor, imperfect efforts in the exercise 
of a virtue of which I have made a solemn 
profession? 

As my obedience may sometimes be put 
to the test at the cost of heroic sacrifices, 
what would my dispositions lead me to hope 
for on such occasions? The example of my 
holy Patron must determine my purpose.... 
What sacrifices more heroic than that im- 
posed on St. Joseph in his flight into Egypt! 
Yet he asks no questions, makes no delay, 
seeks no further directions, but simply 
obeys. Witness the fruit: — Egypt is con- 
verted. At a period not very far distant, 
the deserts, like a garden watered by a 



Feast of St. Joseph. 39 

bountiful stream, are blooming with a vari- 
ety of mystical flowers — thousands of holy 
anchorets, monks and nuns whose voices 
resound in the wilderness, chanting the 
praises of the Lord : and great is the mul- 
titude of christians, both shepherds and 
flocks that are gathered in the temples of 
the great cities of this once idolatrous coun- 
try. The presence and sojourn of the Holy 
Family has borne its fruit and turned it 
into a land of saints and martyrs. 

Thus it may happen that the act of obe- 
dience that costs most to my nature, will be 
productive of the greatest good to the glory 
of Grod and the welfare of souls. 

St. Joseph was poor in that poverty 
which Jesus Christ praises in these words : 
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is 
the kingdom of Heaven. " His heart did 
not covet the goods of earth ; for in Jesus 
he possessed the riches of Heaven. Do I 
rejoice when an opportunity is given me to 
honor the poverty of my blessed Patron? 
In comparing my spirit of poverty with his, 
what an immense distance do I find between 
them! Implore for me, my dear Father St. 
Joseph, a large share in those holy disposi- 
tions which made thy poverty so pleasing 
in the sight of God. 

St. Joseph was chaste to a degree so per- 



40 Manual of Meditations. 

feet that God judged him worthy to be the 
spouse of the Immaculate Virgin — so pure 
that He who is the Sun of Justice and the 
splendor of His glory, and whose delight is 
to feed among the lilies, wished to remain 
thirty years in his company, and to give 
him every mark of honor, respect and love. 
What a model of purity he offers us in his 
person, while, at the same time, his blessed 
example points out to us, the precautions 
to guard this virtue. Great St. Joseph, 
guardian of the virginity of Mary, cast the 
mantle of thy singular protection over those 
who desire to be thy children. 



III. POINT. 

St. Joseph excelled no less in piety and 
devotedness. What was his life but a flight 
from the world, a continual prayer, union 
with God, and an uninterrupted meditation 
on the mysteries of the Divine Childhood 
and the great work of the redemption of 
the world! What did St. Joseph do here 
below but adore God, while, at the same 
time, he employed all his powers and facul- 
ties in His service? His whole life was a 
continuation of acts of sacrifice in the most 
devoted service of Jesus and Mary. 



Feast of St. Joseph. 41 

Must not my want of recollection and 
silence, my distractions at prayer and other 
acts of devotion, my lack of piety in the 
Divine service, my desire to put myself for- 
ward and to shine before men, fill me with 
shame and confusion, when I gaze on St. 
Joseph and witness his interior dispositions? 
Will not my beloved Patron have reason to 
disown me and tell me that I bear his name 
unworthily? But being a merciful Saint, he 
will have pity on his child — although un- 
worthy, yet repentant and who at present 
desires nothing so much as to imitate him 
in future. 

Finally, St. Joseph must be our model in 
constant progress and increase in perfection. 
Joseph means "increase;" Jesus who "in- 
creased in age and wisdom before God and 
man," and, Mary, ever increasing in all 
holiness and merit, were his models that he 
strove closely to imitate. 

What efforts do I actually make to ad- 
vance in virtue? What have been my efforts 
during the past, and what am I willing to 
lay as an offering at St. Joseph's feet, to be 
accomplished in the future? 

Colloquy with our beloved Patron. 



42 Manual of Meditations . 

SECOND MEDITATION. 
St. Joseph is our Guide. 

First Prelude : Enter in spirit the humble 
dwelling of the Holy Family at Nazareth, 
and with the heavenly spirits admire the 
blessed intercourse of this earthly Trinity 
in their mutual relations to each other. 
Imagine your guardian angel pointing to 
St. Joseph, and saying to you: "Behold 
him — in whom is fulfilled what was prefig- 
ured by the ancient Joseph — whom the 
King made master of his house and ruler of 
all his possessions.' 7 

Second Prelude : Ask your blessed Patron 
to guide your steps in the paths of justice, 
of holiness and truth. 

I. POINT. 

St. Joseph our Guide in our Duties of the 
Exterior Life. 

St. Joseph having been given to us as our 
Patron, has thereby become our guide in a 
special manner. What a glorious privilege 
to be guided by him who first directed the 
tottering steps of the Infant Grod — who was 
the conductor of our blessed Mother and 
her sweet Child during all their fatiguing 
and painful pilgrimages ! With what confi- 



Feast of St. Joseph. 43 

dence do they trust themselves to his faith- 
ful care and devoted guidance ! 

Dear St. Joseph, who while on earth 
didst guide with such loving affection the 
sacred persons and the concerns of those 
dearest to thee, for the sake of Jesus and 
Mary, deign to cast a look of tenderness on 
thy children who cry to thee for help and 
who, with loving trust commit themselves 
to thy paternal direction on the road that 
leads heavenward and which, with Grod's 
holy grace, they have already entered. 

This road, although clearly pointed out 
to us in our Constitutions, is not without 
its rocky precipices, its arid deserts, its 
dangerous pitfalls, its dark forests full of 
wild beasts lurking about to attack and 
devour us, and its dense undergrowth of 
thorns and brambles to tear and wound us. 
We need a sure and safe guide to point out 
to us the dangerous places to be guarded 
against, to discover to us the snares laid for 
us that we may avoid falling into them — a 
guide who will encourage us when dismay- 
ed, console us wiien afflicted, bind up our 
wounds when torn and bleeding, and refresh 
us when famished with hunger and thirst. 

Our duties of the exterior life expose us 
to great dangers. Our triple enemy — the 
world, the flesh and the devil — will never 



44 Manual of Meditations. 

cease to make war upon us, to lead us astray 
from the narrow path that leadeth to life. 
Let us call upon our guide who is walking 
before us, to show us in the exercise of our 
charity to our neighbor, the dangers to be 
avoided by giving us a large share in his 
spirit of faith which will cast so bright a 
light across our path that pride and vain 
glory will have no share in our works. One 
look at our amiable guide will, by the light 
of eternity, reflected from his serene coun- 
tenance, enable us to discover and avoid 
the precipice. 

Our duties to our neighbor lead us to hold 
much intercourse with the world. There is 
danger of imbibing its spirit, of permitting 
ourselves to be controlled by its erroneous 
maxims. Who will save us from becoming 
entangled in its snares? Ah; let us turn 
to St. Joseph, our blessed Patron who, ever 
watchful over the welfare of those confided 
to his care, will not cease to light us with 
the brilliant torch of his strong and lively 
faith and his firm trust in God, that the 
false light of worldly wisdom and the regard 
of creatures will dwindle into insignificance. 

St. Joseph must be our guide in the exer- 
cise of our charity. As he served Jesus and 
Mary, so should we see Jesus and Mary in 
the persons of our neighbor whom we are 



Feast of St. Joseph. 45 

called upon to serve — and with what 
alacrity, promptitude and devotedness 
ought we to serve them! 

"Will not my imperfect dispositions and 
feeble efforts, when compared to the perfect 
charity of my beloved father fill me with 
shame and confusion? Would I make ex- 
ception of persons in the exercise of my 
charity, if it were my habit to always view 
Jesus in the persons of those whom I serve 1 

St. Joseph served Jesus and Mary with 
devotedness, sweetness and affection. 

In view of these holy dispositions with 
which thou servest Jesus, the son of Grod, 
and Mary, His Immaculate Mother, let me 
in future strive to follow thy blessed foot- 
steps, O glorious St. Joseph! Thy example 
shall be my encouragement. 

In my neighbor I shall ever see my Jesus 
— in the children whom I teach, the orphans 
whom I care for and educate, the sick whom 
I nurse and visit ; in the ignorant whom I 
instruct ; the poor whom I assist and solace ; 
in the wearv to whom I offer refreshment; 
the dejected whom I encourage, and the 
afflicted whom I comfort and console. — It 
is always and ever Jesus who presents Him- 
self to me under these various guises, to 
receive my feeble services, and who — if I 
faithfully follow my beloved guide — on the 



46 Manual of Meditations. 

last day will say to me: "Come, you blessed 
of my father, etc., Because you did it to the 
least of these my brethren, you did it to me. ' } 
Obtain for me, my beloved Patron, that 
my charity may not be unworthy of such a 
consoling benediction. 

II. POINT. 

St. Joseph our Guide in the Exercises of the 
Interior Life. 

St. Joseph was, in the words of our saint- 
ly Founder "the most humble and the most 
hidden of all the Saints. " He cherished 
the hidden, the obscure, the simple and 
retired life, because it afforded him better 
opportunities for holy recollection and 
union with God. Being, however, charged 
with the care of Jesus and Mary , our blessed 
Patron could not avoid the troubles and 
occupations incident to his position as head 
of the Holy Family; but he understood so 
well how to unite the interior lif e with his 
external employments that these were no 
hindrance to his interior progress towards 
the most exalted heights of perfection. He 
was forever occupied in the service of Him 
whom angels adore, and in the devoted care 
of her whom they delight to serve and 
revere as their queen. He was taught in 



Feast of St. Joseph. 47 

the school wherein the Holy Spirit teaches 
and, consequently, he was a marvel of con- 
summate prudence and heavenly wisdom. 
His inward gaze was never removed from 
the one object of his love. Ever ready to 
fulfil his Heavenly Father's will in regard 
to the objects of his devoted care, ever 
trustful in the tender Providence of God, 
St. Joseph's mind was never disturbed, and 
his heart ever at peace — prepared for the 
secret and sweet impressions of His holy 
grace. 

May our beloved Father St. Joseph obtain 
for us — his children — this calm trustfulness, 
this childlike confidence in God's ever 
watchful and tender Providence which is so 
necessary and so conducive to our rapid 
advancement in the spiritual life. 

We are privileged to bear the name of 
our glorious Patron ; but in order to honor 
the same, and to bear it worthily, we must 
necessarily love and cherish the interior life. 
How glorious to God, how truly calculated 
is such a life to nourish the loftiest virtues 
and the most exalted holiness ! Had there 
been any other life more perfect and more 
pleasing to God, the eternal Father would 
surely have chosen it for His beloved Son 
who desired to pass the greater part of His 
earthly career in silence and obscurity, 



48 Manual of Meditations. 

subjecting Himself to the labors of a poor 
artisan, eating His bread in the sweat of 
His brow. 

How was the condition of labor honored 
in the person of the Son of God made man ! 
Ought not those whose employments subject 
them to manual labor and the fulfilment of 
humble duties rejoice, to be thus associated 
to Jesus, Mary and Joseph? If sanctifying 
their labors in union with those of the Holy 
Family, what will be the height of celestial 
glory that their exalted merits mil have 
obtained for them at the close of their 
earthly pilgrimage ! 

To love retirement, to covet obscurity, to 
cherish a laborious life, in humble subjec- 
tion to God's holy will, thereby to follow 
more closely the Holy Family at Nazareth, 
is not in accordance with the desires of 
flesh and blood, but in perfect conformity 
with the lofty thoughts of the children of 
God, who ever find their joy in humble 
subjection, their glory in obscurity and 
their peace in true union with God. 

Do we desire to be of this number? Then, 
let us rejoice when others are preferred to 
us — when others are honored, applauded, 
sought after, and we ignored — neglected ; 
when the works and undertakings of other 
religious are favorably noticed, and our 



Feast of St. Joseph. 49 

own passed over in silence — or, perhaps, 
even found fault with in public. Provided 
we have done our duty, and by our labors 
striven to promote the interests of our Lord 
and the welfare of souls, all will be well. 
Perhaps our beloved Patron prayed for this 
that the merit of our zealous efforts may 
not be lost to us for eternity. 

Let us learn from St. Joseph the science 
of prayer and holy meditation. It is in 
proportion to our progress in this blessed 
science that the virtues which St. Joseph 
longs to see in his children, will develop 
and grow within us. He learned to pray 
from Jesus and Mary : — His goodness will not 
refuse to direct us in this most necessary 
exercise of the interior life. May his sweet 
charity ever assist us so to unite the interior 
spirit with our many exterior employments, 
that these latter, far from being an obstacle 
to our progress in solid virtue, may aid us 
to accomplish much for G-od's greater glory 
and the good of souls as well as for our own 
spiritual advancement. 

Great St. Joseph who art so accomplished 
a master in the school of prayer and the 
interior life, teach us your children, to 
always seek first the kingdom of Grod and 
His justice, and the rest, according to the 
promise of our Lord, shall be added unto us. 



50 Manual of Meditations. 

III. POINT. 

St. Joseph our Guide in the Perplexing Trials 
and Sufferings of this Life. 

The guide whom the sweet Providence of 
G-od has appointed for us is St. Joseph. He 
himself, tried and made perfect in the school 
of sorrow and affliction, will know how to 
pity, how to compassionate and encourage 
us to sanctify our trials by the infinite mer- 
its of Christ's superabundant satisfaction 
in His passion and death. 

Next to the sorrow of the Queen of Mar- 
tyrs, there never was sorrow like unto that 
which penetrated the heart and soul of our 
beloved Patron during the various stages of 
his life, principally from the time of his 
association with the mystery of the Re- 
demption. There is therefore, no sorrow 
or suffering of ours which will not find its 
comforting balm in the compassionate heart 
of our beloved Father, if, like truly devoted 
children, we turn to him for consolation, 
counsel and encouragement. 

When oppressed by sadness, disturbed by 
fear, attacked by sickness and pain, let us 
go to Joseph ; he will comfort and console 
us. He will show us that sufferings, if 
rightly received and patiently borne, will 
merit for us an everlasting recompense. 



Feast of St. Joseph. 51 

Are we disheartened by disappointment, 
by a want of success in our undertakings 
and employments , our holy patron will 
encourage and help us. Are we dismayed 
at the persistence of some dangerous temp- 
tations — he will succor us and put our 
enemy to flight. If weary and fatigued, let 
us ask our blessed guide to introduce us to 
the "holy travellers 77 going to Egypt, or in 
their humble home at Nazareth, that their 
sweet cheerfulness, their humble resignation 
to God's holy will, may be unto us a lesson 
and an encouragement in our fatigues and 
labors. 

In moments of doubt and perplexity, let 
us have recourse to our beloved Patron who 
is well acquainted with this species of trial, 
and who will not fail to lead us out of the 
labyrinth and make our path clear to us. 
Oh, if in all our trials we would turn 
promptly to St. Joseph, and learn to imi- 
tate his virtues, what lights and graces 
would he not obtain for us ! 

Dear St. Joseph, never permit us to lose 
the merit of our sufferings by receiving or 
submitting to them from motives unworthy 
of thy children ! 

St. Joseph will be our guide, especially 
at the approach of death. Our holy Mother 
the Church, in her beautiful Responsory in 



52 Manual of Meditations. 

honor of this glorious Saint, points him out 
as the special patron of the dying. He who 
had the happiness of dying in the arms of 
Jesus and Mary, will not refuse to help his 
children at their last moments. His own 
death-hour was made so glad and blissf ul by 
the presence of his Creator and Redeemer — 
who was at the same time his devoted Foster 
Son— and that of his Immaculate Spouse, 
the most holy Virgin, that he cannot but 
listen in pity to those who fervently com- 
mend to him their last moments. He will 
shield them against the wiles of satan who, 
knowing that the time is short, and that the 
fate of the poor soul depends upon the end, 
will do all in his power to prevent it from 
being saved. 

O blessed Saint, our loving Patron, be 
thou near us in that awful hour upon which 
our eternity depends ! Shield us from our 
foes by obtaining for us, thy children, the 
signal grace of dying in the presence and 
under the sweet protection of Jesus and 
Mary; and may we, after having passed 
under thy own gracious guidance through 
the dark valley of death, safely reach the 
haven of peace and rest on the shores of a 
blessed eternity, where we hope, in thy 
blessed company to praise the mercies of 
the Lord forever. 



Feast of St. Joseph. 53 

THIRD MEDITATION. 
St. Joseph is our Protector. 

First Prelude : Imagine you see our blessed 
Patron St. Joseph raised high in heavenly 
glory, encouraging you to labor courageous- 
ly for its acquisition by imitating his virtues. 

Second Prelude: Humbly ask our Lord 
to teach you how to love and reverence His 
foster-father as He did, and to inspire you 
with great confidence in his powerful inter- 
cession. 

I. POINT. 

St. Joseph being in a special manner our 
protector, we ought to have recourse to him 
in all our necessities. St. Joseph is very 
anxious to help us. Being a most kind and 
charitable Saint, he is ever ready to give his 
aid and protection to those who apply to him. 

In proportion as the saints love G-od, so 
does also their love for man increase ; and 
what saint is there who ever loved Grod as 
St. Joseph did! As works are the proof of 
true love, we need only cast a glance at 
what St. Joseph did for our Lord and His 
blessed Mother: — Nazareth, Bethlehem, 
Egypt, Jerusalem speak louder than words, 
and proclaim the exalted perfection of his 



54 Manual of Meditations . 

devoted and self-sacrificing charity, his 
affectionate solicitude in caring for Jesus 
and Mary. 

Does not our glorious Patron in the words 
of the ancient Patriarch Joseph to his broth- 
ers appear to say to us: "Fear not, I am 
Joseph? " Take courage and have confidence 
in me, for I am ready to help you. Come 
to me, poor sinful soul! Cast yourself with 
unlimited trust into the arms of my protec- 
tion. Have you lost father, mother, rela- 
tives, friends? I will be your father, your 
friend. Have you strayed from the true 
path that leads to life? I shall be your guide 
to point out the way for your safe return. 
Are you sad, disheartened? I shall be your 
consoler. 

"I am Joseph, " the guardian of the treas- 
ures of the King of Heaven, the dispenser 
of all His graces. Be not dismayed, invoke 
me with confidence: "I am Joseph" who 
am able and willing to succor you in all 
your necessities. 

After listening to these sweet and en- 
couraging words, could we still doubt St. 
Joseph's goodness of heart? Are we still 
timid in asking his help? Would we not be 
unjust to our beloved Father, in not recog- 
nizing his paternal kindness ! 



Feast of St. Joseph. 55 

II. POINT. 

We ought to have recourse to St. Joseph 
in all our needs, because he is not only wil- 
ling, but also able and powerful enough to 
help us in all our necessities. 

According to the testimony of St. Teresa, 
whom some learned spiritual writers call 
"The most brilliant star" in the jewelled 
crown of St. Joseph, this glorious Saint 
succors us in every kind of necessity. 

In constituting St. Joseph the adopted 
father and guardian of His Divine Son and 
the worthy spouse of Mary, the Mother of 
Grod, the eternal Father gave him all power 
in Heaven and on earth. He held jurisdic- 
tion over Jesus and Mary, and they were 
subject to him. St. Joseph refused them 
nothing here on earth, and now they cannot 
refuse him anything in Heaven. The sup- 
plications of St. Joseph are like commands, 
when addressed to Jesus and Mary. In 
grace and in glory, St. Joseph ranks above 
all angels and saints in Heaven, and there 
holds a position in keeping with his exalted 
dignity as foster-father of the Son of Grod 
and spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, the 
great Queen of Heaven and earth. 

Ought we not, then, have the most un- 
limited confidence in the patronage of our 
blessed Father? 

May our sweetest Mother Mary who was 



56 Manual of Meditations . 

ever most devoted to her cherished spouse 
obtain for us this child-like trust and con- 
fidence ! 

III. POINT. 

If you are truly devoted to St. Joseph, he 
will certainly help you in every necessity. 
The great power and dignity of this glorious 
Saint have not been given him for himself 
— for his own advantage alone, but that he 
might employ them for our salvation. 

St. Joseph is, as it were, the father and 
common provider of all the faithful, but 
ours in particular. 

It is to his patronage and to his powerful 
protection that our venerated founders 
committed our humble Institute at its first 
foundation, that it might be nurtured by his 
silent teachings, fortified by his example, 
guarded from evil by his kind, thoughtful 
providence, and advanced in holiness and 
perfection by the interior spirit and ardent 
charity of this glorious Saint. 

The eternal Father, while choosing Joseph 
for the foster-father of His beloved Son, 
willed that he should also be the father of 
the adopted brethren of Jesus; and as, in 
virtue of his office he was obliged to succor 
and protect Jesus, the eternal Son of Grod, 
so in virtue of our adoption, this blessed 
Saint is likewise obliged to attend to our 
interests and various necessities. 



Feast of St. Joseph. 57 

Moreover, the preservation of his good 
name really obliges our beloved Patron to 
come to our aid. If after praying to St. 
Joseph with the greatest confidence, we 
should fail to be heard, could we not gently 
plead with him in the words of some of his 
devoted clients: u O blessed Patriarch! 
What has become of thy great power — thy 
celebrated goodness — after being assured 
by so many saints, but especially by the 
Seraphic Virgin St. Teresa of Jesus, that 
they did not remember ever having asked 
anything of thee, without being heard! ?? 

Thou must, therefore, my dearest Patron 
St. Joseph, obtain for me from Jesus and 
Mary, who cannot deny thee anything, the 
favor that I ask of thee for the greater glory 
of Q-od and the good of my soul which is so 
dear to thee. I know that on account of 
my sins and infidelities I do not deserve it ; 
but thou, O glorious Saint meritest it, and 
through thy powerful protection I hope to 
obtain it. 

Colloquy with St. Teresa who labored 
with such incessant ardor in promoting de- 
votion to St. Joseph. Ask this Seraphic 
Virgin, but ask especially, our Immaculate 
Mother to teach you to become truly devout 
to the great foster-father of our Lord, and 
our own special patron and protector. 



£rifc>uum 

preparatory for tbe ffeast of tbe IDisita* 
tion of tbe /IDost 5fiols IDirgim 

Our Holy Rule prescribes this Triduum 
during which we should endeavor to re- 
double our zeal and fervor, so as to prepare 
ourselves in a becoming manner for the 
renewal of our holy vows. 

Let us therefore, like Mary in her glorious 
Magnificat, profoundly humble ourselves in 
the presence of G-od, and in the first Prelude 
call to mind the sweet mystery and the 
circumstances of Mary's visitation to her 
cousin Elizabeth. 

Consider Mary's promptitude in arising 
and going with haste across the hill-coun- 
try of Juda. 

At the sound of the voice of her saluta- 
tion, the heart of Elizabeth is inspired, and 
the child in her bosom leaps up for joy and 
is sanctified by the presence of his Saviour, 
still in the womb of His holy Mother. 

Second Prelude : Let us humbly ask Jesus 
to come with Mary, during these days of 
recollection, to visit and sanctify us, as He 

(58) 



Visitation of the Host Holy Virgin, 59 

visited and sanctified St. John the Baptist, 
while still in the womb of his Mother Eliza- 
beth: — And, that this divine visit may 
efficaciously work in us an entire renewal 
in the religious life, let us most fervently 
implore the powerful intercession of our 
blessed Mother. 

I. POINT. 

Obedient to an impulse of the Holy Spirit 
and the dictates of charity, Mary hastens to 
visit her holy cousin whose motherhood she 
has just learned from the lips of the angel. 

Desiring to set forth the promptitude with 
which our blessed Mother executes the de- 
signs of Almighty God, the Gospel says: 
"And Mary rising up went into the hill- 
country with haste, into the City of Juda." 

Behold our model of promptitude in the 
execution of the divine command! Mary 
delays not, nor puts off, what she is con- 
scious to be the will of and the good pleasure 
of God. Notwithstanding the wearisomeness 
of the journey, she travels with haste across 
the hills of Juda. She enters into the house 
of Zachary and salutes Elizabeth, and the 
Gospel says: "And it came to pass, that, 
when Elizabeth heard the salutation of 
Mary, the Infant leaped in her womb, and 
she was filled with the Holy Ghost, and 



60 Manual of Meditations. 

crying out with a loud voice, she said: 
u Blessed art thou amongst women and 
blessed is the fruit of thy womb." Beautiful 
words ! which are repeated every day in the 
"Hail Mary" by thousands and millions of 
souls. Blessed indeed is Mary: for she 
carries in her bosom the Incarnate Son of 
G-od. Truly happy the abode of her kins- 
folks to which she brought such inestimable 
blessings ! 

Blessed, too, will be our houses which 
Mary, with Jesus, will deign to visit and 
sanctify! Blessed a thousand times, our 
souls, if by humble, earnest and fervent 
prayers we hasten their coming unto us, 
and cause them to abide with us ! 

O Immaculate Lady! deign to visit us 
with thy beloved Son Jesus, and obtain that 
this divine visit may operate such wonders 
of grace in our souls, as to bring about a 
complete renewal of our lives in Him, that 
in all truth it may be said of us: "This 
indeed is the change of the right hand of 
the Most High." 

II. POINT. 

Let us consider the motives which ani- 
mated our Blessed Lady in her visit to her 
cousin Elizabeth. 

First of all it was obedience — Obedience 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 61 

to a strong impulse of the Holy Spirit which 
urged her to practice an act of charity to- 
wards her cousin, and the child still unborn 
in her bosom. She, the happy Virgin- 
Mother, had no sooner been informed by 
the angel that Elizabeth was blessed with 
child, than she set out in haste to visit, to 
congratulate and to serve her kinswoman 
under the trying circumstances of her ad- 
vanced motherhood. 

Mary obeys promptly the superior impulse 
of grace which urged her to visit her holy 
cousin, and thus providentially cooperates 
in the divine economy of the Incarnation 
of the Word. It is through Mary's act of 
obedience that the Baptist, while still in the 
womb of his mother, is sanctified by the 
presence of the Redeemer, and consecrated, 
so to say, for his exalted office of Percursor 
of our Lord. 

Let us not think, that our Lady's journey 
was undertaken without sacrifice on her 
part. No ! While her great love of virginal 
modesty naturally led her to shrink from 
the gaze of the world and cherish holy 
retirement, our Blessed Mother would, nev- 
ertheless, relinquish her own personal satis- 
faction in order to fulfil G-od's holy will. 

Being the mother of divine Wisdom, she 
judged that " Obedience was better than 
sacrifice. " 



62 Manual of Meditations. 

Then, when we consider the many incon- 
veniences and the fatigue of the long jour- 
ney during the warm, season of the year, 
across mountains and hills — upon roads, not 
smooth and convenient, but very uneven 
and rugged in the extreme, we can form a 
slight idea of how much it must have cost 
our sweet Lady, to leave the quiet enclosure 
of her humble home at Nazareth. She, 
however, knew no other pleasure or satis- 
faction, than the perfect accomplishment 
of the most just and holy will of Grod. 

Does our obedience participate in the 
spirit of that, practised by Mary? 

What attention do we give to the still and 
holy voice which makes itself heard in the 
interior of our soul? Do we not, sometimes, 
turn a deaf ear to it, and try to persuade 
ourselves that we were mistaken, and that 
we just fancied it, when in our heart of 
hearts we felt convinced, that Grod had 
indeed, made known His will to us by the 
silent whisperings of His grace? 

And why all this, but because we are 
afraid of trouble. 

By the light of eternity reflected upon us 
in our meditation, we have seen, how much 
pleasure we could give to God by a certain 
act of humility— of charity— of self-sacrifice: 
but the humiliation would be too painful, 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 63 

the mortification demanded, too trouble- 
some: — therefore, we would rather make 
ourselves comfortable and believe that the 
Lord had not spoken to us, and that after 
all, we had better content ourselves with 
doing just what we were obliged to, and 
nothing more. How many would-be saints 
have been unmade with reasoning like this ! 

Have we ever reflected that, perhaps the 
act of virtue, or the victory over some 
temptation which costs most to nature will, 
with grace, if acted upon promptly, bring 
the greatest good to our souls, or to the 
souls of others? 

May our heavenly Mother preserve us 
from the truly miserable fate of the five 
foolish virgins who neglecting to fill their 
lamps betimes with the oil of charity and 
good works, unhappily exposed themselves 
to come too late to enter with the heavenly 
Bridegroom into the marriage-hall of the 
heavenly Jerusalm. 

But rather like Mary — our model of per- 
fect fidelity — let us sweetly follow the 
attractions and inspirations of divine grace 
that like her, we may also reap the fruit of 
our obedience and self-sacrifice. 

Mary hastens in the execution of the 
divine will, and thus cooperates with the 
designs of the Word made flesh, now dwell- 



64 Manual of Meditations. 

ing in her as in His immaculate tabernacle. 
Jesus wishes, thus early, to cleanse His 
Precursor from the stain of original sin, and 
to consecrate him as His herald to announce 
His coming and prepare His way; but it is 
through Mary's cooperation that all these 
wonders are achieved. 

Truly happy Mother, whose child deserved 
to be thus favored by Him who came as the 
salvation of the world! Most blessed child, 
thus early freed from the bonds of sin ! 

Inspired by Grod, Mary here utters her 
glorious canticle of praise — the Magnificat— 
which is now daily recited or chanted in the 
Church by millions of her children, and 
thus, our Lady's prophecy: "Behold, all 
generations shall call me blessed, " is contin- 
ually repeated, and at the same time verified. 

From Mary then, let us learn, to bring the 
acceptable sacrifice of obedience, of praise, 
and of prayer for the welfare of souls so 
dearly purchased by Jesus' precious Blood. 

III. POINT. 

Mary went to visit her holy cousin to ful- 
fil the sweet law of charity. 

What joy and gladness did not our Lady 
bring to that blessed household! What 
graciousness do we behold in that mutual 
greeting between the Mother of the Saviour 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 65 

and the Mother of His Precursor upon their 
first meeting ! How few the words spoken 
by our blessed Mother, yet how sweet and 
tender they were ! How heavenly the con- 
versation to which Elizabeth was found 
worthy to listen for the space of three 
months during which our Lady dwelt under 
her roof, and how the mother of the Baptist 
must have profited by their blessed mutual 
intercourse ! Must not she and the child of 
grace in her bosom have been wonderfully 
influenced by the presence of the Saviour, 
yet enclosed in the spotless tabernacle of 
His Mother's womb? 

O truly beautiful mystery of the Visitation 
of Our Lady! What gladness, what joyous- 
ness, what humble, grateful love does it not 
suggest to us ! Its spirit is fully expressed in 
the "Magnificat" — the only canticle ever 
composed by our Lady and, as tradition 
tells us, daily repeated by her. 

Mary undertook the journey to Hebron, 
to congratulate her kinswoman on her pres- 
ent happiness, and to show how much she 
appreciated the gifts of Grod within her ; to 
join with her in fervant thanksgiving to the 
Most High for all His gifts and graces to 
them both. 

But she likewise offers her kind services 
to assist her in various little preparations 



66 Manual of Meditations. 

for the approaching event of the birth of 
the Baptist. Our Sweet Lady's humility 
dictates to her a variety of little acts by 
which she practises charity in most exquisite 
and gracious ways. 

In obedience to the wishes of our vener- 
ated Founders, let us go to our blessed 
Mother in this happy mystery of the visita- 
tion that in the exercise of our charity 
towards the dear neighbor, especially in 
our visits to the poor and sick, she may 
teach us how to enter into her own holy 
dispositions with which she was animated 
in her visit to her cousin Elizabeth, and let 
us ask this as the special fruit of this medi- 
tation. 

0, if we always performed this duty in 
the spirit and with the holy dispositions of 
Mary, what precious fruits would we not be 
able to gather from these visits! 

O holy, Immaculate Mother deign to 
infuse into us thy spirit, and graciously 
replenish our hearts with thy heavenly 
charity, that our little services rendered to 
our neighbor may produce wonderful effects 
for the glory of Grod's holy name. 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 67 

SECOND MEDITATION. 

Our Vocation is a Priceless Grace and a Hidden 

Treasure. 

First Prelude : Imagine you hear our Lord 
addressing you in these words of the Gos- 
pel: "You have not chosen me, but I have 
chosen you, and have appointed you that 
you should go, and should bring forth fruit, 
and that your fruit shall remain. ?? 

Second Prelude : Humbly ask through the 
intercession of our blessed Mother that you 
may appreciate your holy vocation as a 
grace of inestimable value — the "treasure 
hidden in the field 7 ' and the "pearl of great 
price, " spoken of by our Lord in the par- 
able of the Gospel . 

I. POINT. 

"While dwelling on earth, during the years 
of His public ministry, our Divine Lord was 
pleased, when preaching to the multitudes 
that flocked to Him, to speak in parables. 
And how great is the wisdom which herein 
displays itself! The truth conveyed by 
parables is more palatable, and not so easily 
forgotten. 

Some of the parables spoken by our Lord 
have, according to the opinion of spiritual 



68 Manual of Meditations . 

writers, a special reference to the religious 
life. Thus, the " hidden treasure buried in 
a field, " would seem to signify a religious 
vocation. 

In calling us to this holy state, our Lord 
offered us the "hidden treasure. 7 ' 

This treasure is buried in a field — a sort 
of a common field to look at — and to pur- 
chase it, we had to pay a high price, even 
all we had to give in this world: all our 
liberty, all our time, all our strength and 
all our heart: and that even until death. 
And we had to pay the price down, before 
we were actually in possession of our treas- 
ure-, for it lies very deep, and we had to 
dig hard to get at it. Deep down into the 
ground of our own nature, we had to dig 
with the sharp tools of mortification, self- 
denial, obedience, humility, patience, pray- 
er, and thus persevering day after day in 
well-doing. 

Have we not sometimes found it hard to 
dig — to work incessantly, sometimes pierc- 
ing, or trying to pierce the hard stony soil 
of our hearts in which our treasure is hid- 
den away. 

Perhaps we have had to listen to the jibes 
of our enemies, who were by no means, 
pleased with our persevering labor. Many 
times we may have heard the whisperings of 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 69 

flesh and blood advising us to give ourselves 
a little more rest from persistent killing 
work : — while the old enemy with his tri- 
umphs and failures of six thousand years 
has not failed to frequently ask us: "Is 
your treasure really worth all this trouble, 
this ceaseless labor? Have you not, after all, 
been deceived in regard to its being there? 
Will not all your labor be time lost? You 
might just as well stop now, than have to 
give up in the end." 

What has been our reply on such occa- 
sions? Did we give our enemy cause of joy, 
or inspire him with dread! St. Teresa says, 
the devil is afraid of courageous souls and 
fears their determined persevering efforts in 
well-doing more, than severe penances and 
mortification. Let us be of this number, 
and considering the inestimable value of 
our treasure for which we have already paid 
all we possessed in this life, let us be per- 
suaded that no labor can be too great, no 
sacrifice too painful, to attain and enjoy 
the possession thereof. 

The treasure we are digging for is no 
other than the kingdom of heaven, which 
our Lord has promised to all those who 
leave air to follow Him. 

Here below, it is dominion over self, free- 
dom of heart, union with Grod, and having 



70 Manual of Meditations. 

Him in exchange for the perishable creat- 
ures we have given np for His love : and 
finally it will bring us the possession and 
enjoyment of Himself in the life to come. 

And now setting this truth well before 
our eyes, let us honestly put this question 
to ourselves: Is not this treasure worth the 
price? If we have given all we had for it, 
have we not done wisely? Or shall we regret 
and take it back? 

If we are only serving God by half-meas- 
ures, we have not given all we had, and 
until we do, the treasure will not be ours. 

Sweet Lady Immaculate! Mother of all 
graces, obtain for us from thy beloved Son 
a great love and esteem for our holy voca- 
tion, and help us to render it fruitful in all 
good works and meritorious for eternal life. 

II. POINT. 

If our vocation to the religious life is 
typified by the parable of the "treasure 
hidden in the field" the similitude of the 
"pearl of great price" signifies sanctity — 
the perfection of virtue. 

Spiritual writers tell us that, to be called 
to religion and called to be a saint, are 
one and the same thing. Eeligious are, 
in virtue of their holy profession, obliged 
under pain of sin to strive after perfection • 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 71 

yet, to be sure, all religious are not saints. 
They are approaching sanctity only, in pro- 
portion to their efforts to practice heroic 
virtue. The "heroic" is more than ordin- 
ary: it is the fruit of a higher and holier 
motive in action. It suggests lofty courage 
as the fruit of great love — a generous f or- 
getfulness of self, and presupposes in the 
one called upon to practice it, a true, deep 
humility. 

The pearl of great price is to be found in 
the deep ocean, and whoever wishes to 
obtain it must descend into its depths. 

It is only by descending into the abyss of 
our nothingness that we can hope to prac- 
tice perfect virtue. No saint has ever be- 
come one, without the practice of humility, 
and the higher the degree of sanctity to 
which they aspired, the lower the depths to 
which they had to stoop, in order to attain 
to the lofty and truly desirable heights, 
upon which the true children of G-od are 
accustomed to dwell. 

Heroic virtue is not common — it implies 
the conquering of difficulties, the overcom- 
ing of obstacles. The man who found the 
pearl had to dive for it and bring it up from 
the depths of the sea at the risk of life. It 
is indeed a precious pearl which had to be 
brought up from a great depth. One was 



72 Manual of Meditations . 

found who descended into the deep waters 
to obtain it ; for it was purchased for us by 
the Blood of Jesus. — But to obtain of our 
Lord, and appropriate to ourselves this pre- 
cious pearl of sanctity , it is necessary that 
we too, should descend into the deep sea of 
our nothingness by humiliation and suffer- 
ing. One saint does more for God's glory, 
than a thousand ordinary christians, and 
one act of heroic virtue is more precious 
and more fruitful than any number of im- 
perfect acts. This consideration frequently 
called to mind, might lead to great results 
amongst those who have consecrated them- 
selves to Almighty Grod. 

But to obtain possession of this precious 
pearl of heroic virtue, we stand in need of 
special succor from above. It is to Mary, 
the Mother of humility we must turn, who 
declares in her blessed canticle that Grod, in 
choosing her to be His Mother, had regarded 
nothing but the humility of His handmaid. 
Now, there is great reason for associating 
the pearl, the most precious among all the 
precious stones, with our Lady and humili- 
ty. It is through Mary's intercession we 
hope to obtain the priceless pearl of sancti- 
ty. She is the Mother of final perseverance 
— that inestimable grace we cannot merit; 
but we depend upon her to obtain it for us. 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 73 

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Mother of 
the dying! Pray for us now and in the 
hour of our death ! 

Mary will be for us truly the "gate of 
heaven. " 

But humility must also be our way to 
glory. Without it the door will never open 
for us. Useless to bring our fancied store 
of merits to the gates, if humility be want- 
ing, no amount of pleading can ever gain 
admittance there. 

III. POINT. 

The Parable of the Grain of Wheat. 

The words of this parable, given by our 
blessed Lord imply first of all a prophecy 
of His own death. He was to purchase life 
for the world. Our Lord says: "Amen, 
amen, I say to you, unless the grain of 
wheat falling into the ground, die, itself 
remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth 
forth much fruit. " 

The application of this image is not diffi- 
cult. We are, each one, the grain of wheat, 
insignificant enough: and yet, each one 
contains a germ of life. Given the grace 
of God and the adhesion of our own will, 
there is in each one of us the possibility of 
high sanctity. 



74 Manual of Meditations. 

All the labors of a St. Francis de Sales, 
of a St. Teresa, a St. Ignatius Loyola, all 
the teaching of St. Thomas, all the monastic 
life of beauty and holiness which sprang 
out of the Rules of St. Benedict, St. Fran- 
cis, St. Dominic and others, once lay a 
hidden germ in the souls of these servants 
of Grod, and had they remained alone, the 
germ would never have developed, and the 
mighty harvests of their lives would never 
have been reaped. 

There was a time, when St. Francis Xav- 
ier was a gay student at Paris with no 
thought, but of a worldly career before him. 
Yet within him lay hidden the germ of the 
career of the Apostle of the Indies. To 
develop that germ, what a change, as of 
death, must pass over him! He must fall 
into the ground indeed, and die, and he 
refused not, so to do. 

Blessed indeed is the little grain of wheat 
which, the divine Sower takes in His hands, 
which He sows Himself in the favored field 
of His Church, where the dew of heaven 
falls upon it in abundance, where the sun 
of grace darts its warming vivifying rays 
upon it, where the friends of Grod busy 
themselves much about it — planted in fertile 
soil which has been blessed by the zeal of 
the Apostles, the courage of the martyrs, 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 75 

and the constancy of the saints. But the 
little grain of wheat falling into the ground 
must die, before it will yield its fruit, 
according to the desire of the divine Hus- 
bandman. Truly blessed the soul that cor- 
responds with Grod's infinite goodness by 
suffering itself to be placed in the ground, 
by abasing itself in humility, and dying by 
mortification and a holy abandonment of 
itself into the hands of God. Buried in the 
earth, the little grain must die, or at any 
rate, pass through a transforming change 
which is the likeness of death. It must lose 
its old life, its old form and manner of ex- 
istence, all that must become nothing and 
return to dust, that the new life of that 
little germ may spring forth in new and 
beautiful forms. 

All of us who are signified by this little 
grain, must give all for all, if we wish to 
bring forth fruit and gather a harvest of 
souls into the heavenly garners. 

What we must give up, is that central 
germ of self out of which proceed the mo- 
tives of our exterior acts. This is what our 
Lord designates in the gospel, as our life 
which we must hate, if we wish to keep it 
unto life eternal. Self -value, self-esteem, 
self-judgment, self-complacency, self-will, — 
our own interests, our own likings and 



76 Manual of Meditations. 

dislikings, our tastes, our freedom, our 
sympathies and antipathies : — all this has 
to fall into the ground and die. In other 
words, it must be humbled and mortified, 
as the absolute condition of bringing forth 
much fruit. 

How can we die? We cannot do it our- 
selves ; but if one thing is more true than 
another, it is that Grod always provides the 
instrument for putting nature to death. 
Death — even death of the cross is always 
awaiting us. We who live under the easy 
yoke of religious rule, may find this death 
in a life of obedience which is death to self- 
will, and in a life of humility which is the 
death of pride and self-judgment. 

We may crucify our selfishness by fra- 
ternal charity, and our love of ease and in- 
dulgence by regular observance and punct- 
uality. In fact, the cross is always waiting 
at our door, the furrow of our daily life and 
daily rule is ever open, into which is cast 
the grain of wheat. Rightly regarded it is 
an easy cross, and comparing it with the 
heavy and severe crosses of many souls, 
living in the world, we should, indeed, give 
thanks to God who placed his light yoke 
and easy burden upon us. 

Nature, however, must die, and what we 
need to nerve our resolution, is confidence 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 77 

in the promise of Grod. His word can never 
fail: "If it die, it shall bring forth much 
fruit. " "We should bring home our sheaves 
rejoicing. The death of self will always 
and most surely proves the forerunner of a 
new and glorious life of grace. 

You, O religious soul, give up self -judg- 
ment, and lo ! you find your interior flooded 
with peace and tranquility. — You give up 
an attachment, and you gain freedom of 
heart. You renounce wishes and longings 
after one or another form of happiness, and 
a joy of which you never could have formed 
the least idea, flows in on you like a torrent. 
— You consent to be nothing, if the Lord 
so ordains, and He takes delight in putting 
into your hands a power, and placing you 
into some sphere of work altogether un- 
looked-for. 

All these are only the common and ordin- 
ary issue of that death to which the little 
grain of wheat at last submits. 

It has fallen into its little furrow and 
there dies. — The winter passes with its frost 
and bitter cold, and spring dawns at last, 
and lo! the green blade appears, and then 
the tender shoot ; after that the full ear and 
the abundant hundred-fold. 

All we need is courage and confidence. 
May the Lord of the harvest give us these 



78 Manual of Meditations. 

through the powerful intercession of our 
blessed Mother and St. Joseph. 

Colloquy with St. Ignatius. — Recite with 
him his beautiful prayer "Receive Lord, 
my memory, will and understanding, etc."* 



THIRD MEDITATION. 

The Renovation of Vows is most pleasing to God 
and highly beneficial to ourselves. 

First Prelude : Recall to your mind the 
joyful day of your religious profession, and 
the happiness you then experienced, in 
being permitted to pronounce your holy 
vows and to consecrate yourself forever to 
the service of Q-od. 

Second Prelude: Humbly implore the 
grace to fully appreciate your great happi- 
ness and fervently thank Grod for it every 
day of your life. 

I. POINT. 

The renovation of our holy vows suggests 
the idea of a complete renewal of ourselves 
in the sendee of Grod. Let our memory 
recall and dwell on the various circumstan- 
ces of that joyous morning, when in the 
happy spring time of our religious life we 

* This Meditation has, in part, been extracted from 
1 'Spiritual Notes" by Mother Frances Raphael. 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 79 

knelt as expectant brides at the foot of 
(rod's Altar , ready to pour forth our vows 
to our heavenly Bridegroom. O how ready 
we were then, for everything — for any sac- 
rifice that the Beloved of our souls might 
be pleased to demand of us! What were we 
not prepared to do and to suffer ! 

We may probably not then have realized 
the cost of the sacrifice, we so joyfully made; 
for when our Lord's sweet and powerful 
grace is sensibly present with us, it is easy 
enough to make any offering, and deposit 
the victim upon the altar of Grod's love. 

But to consume that victim must be our 
daily, life-long occupation ; and this costs, 
and costs much — perhaps more than we had 
ever anticipated. Virtue has to be practiced 
heroically in this constant immolation of 
self, and we stand a fair chance of becoming 
saints, provided we grow not faint-hearted, 
and turn back. 

This Triduum, so providentially ordained 
and prescribed for us, is to bring about in 
us a renewal of those holy and fervent dis- 
positions with which, by God's grace, we 
felt animated, at the moment we pronounc- 
ed our holy vows. 

It is for this end, we should practise 
greater recollection of mind and heart, ob- 
serve a stricter silence, and while meditating 



80 Manual of Meditations. 

on striking truths and principles bearing 
upon the religious life, endeavor to enter 
into our interior, humbly examining our 
past failures, present dispositions and holy 
aspirations for the future. 

Above all, it is by humble, fervent prayer 
and supplication, that we may hope to put 
ourselves into a disposition of mind and 
heart which the Lord looks for in souls, that 
He wishes to favor with his choicest graces. 

May our heavenly Mother obtain for the 
children of her blessed Spouse, a copious 
dew of heavenly graces which, falling upon 
hearts well prepared, may work that happy 
renewal which Jesus, the Spouse of our 
souls longs to see accomplished in us. 

In bestowing upon us a religious vocation, 
our Lord planted us in His own vineyard 
which He describes by the prophet Isaias 
"with its wine-press, its watch-tower, its 
hedge of thorns, " and each one of us can 
say to herself: I am the little branch which 
the Lord Himself planted with His own 
divine hand in His vineyard, and on which 
He bestows every possible care. Every help 
and every privilege has been given me to 
work out my salvation and to attain to the 
perfection of my state ; and every obstacle 
has been taken away. "What more," says 
He by the same prophet, "could I do for 
my vineyard, that I have not done for it? ?< 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 81 

But what has been the fruit? Have I been 
faithful in corresponding with grace? 

There were occasions, perchance, when I 
felt inclined to sit down to rest in the cool 
shade of the vine, when I ought to be up 
and doing, trying to prevent the enemy from 
breaking down the hedge of the vineyard. 

By my sloth and carelessness, I have 
allowed "little foxes" to break through the 
hedge who have devoured the blossoms, 
and in some instances, torn up the roots of 
the plant. Has it not sometimes happened, 
that by repeated infidelities, I have rendered 
my heart callous and insensible to grace, and 
thus exposed myself to yield more readily 
to temptations of discouragement and dis- 
gust for my holy vocation? 

The birds of distraction have come in 
and made much havoc — self-love, negligence 
and sloth have caused decay among the few 
hard and sour grapes produced by the poor 
little withered branch — Alas ! Not one per- 
haps, fit to give the Master of the vineyard 
who now stands at the gate to demand the 
fruit of the little vine, He Himself has 
planted, and tended with so much care and 
diligence ! 

Alas, Lord! I am that little withered 
branch which Thy own hand hath planted 
in thy chosen vineyard which thou didst so 



82 Manual of Meditations. 

often water with Thy own most precious 
Blood ! I have allowed my life to flow away 
in barrenness. But now, I return to thee 
with my whole heart, that I may be quick- 
ened by thee with restored life, and bloom 
and flourish again in true holiness. 

O most sweet Jesus ! I pray thee by the 
love of Thy own dear Virgin-Mother, and 
St. Joseph, our glorious patron, that thou 
wouldst make me observe with scrupulous 
fidelity the rules of holy religion and the 
duties of the spiritual life. Enable me to 
bring forth manifold fruit of virtue, that 
when Thou shalt come to gather them at 
the hour of my death, I may appear before 
Thee with much fruit, in full maturity, 
consumnate in the perfection Thou dost ex- 
pect from the children of Thy blessed 
Foster-father, St. Joseph. 

II. POINT. 

On the morning of our holy profession, 
we called the Most Holy Virgin, St. Joseph, 
our patron, and the whole heavenly Court 
to witness the sacrifice we then so generous- 
ly made to our heavenly Spouse. We most 
solemnly consecrated ourselves to the Divine 
Majesty, vowing poverty, chastity and obe- 
dience, according to the rules of this dear 
Institute — We promised, by a special pro- 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 83 

testation, to practice the most profound 
humility in all things and the most cordial 
charity towards our neighbor: — thus engag- 
ing ourselves by the conspicuous and per- 
severing practice of these two virtues, to 
distinguish ourselves in the Church of Grod, 
as true daughters of St. Joseph. 

Before we took our vows, we were free to 
follow the dictates of our own will, free 
from the obligations of constantly tending 
to perfection; but being once professed, 
there is upon us a sacred obligation, not 
only to lead a life of poverty, chastity and 
obedience, but also in practice to aspire con- 
tinually to the perfection of these virtues. 

As christians we ought, in obedience to 
our Lord's exhortation, "Learn of me, for 
I am meek and humble of heart" to have 
cherished the virtues of humility and chari- 
ty, but having once so solemnly engaged 
ourselves to practice them, how great are 
our obligations in this respect! In fact, we 
can only pretend to the right of bearing the 
name, and to the honor of being recognized 
in the Church as children of St. Joseph, in 
proportion to the manner in which we 
exercise ourselves in these two virtues. 

What has been our aim during the past? 
Have we edified the world by a love of self- 
abnegation and penance? Have we never 



84 Manual of Meditations. 

caused it to contemn religion, on account 
of our haughtiness and want of humble 
forbearance? Have we never scandalized it 
by our want of modesty and reserve? Is not 
the veil of the virgin consecrated to God, 
the image of modesty? Modesty is that 
array of precaution, vigilance, mortification, 
which, so to say, envelopes and preserves 
holy purity. If we would be chaste, let us 
be modest. Or, have we perhaps, been a 
trial — a stumbling-block — a cause of sorrow 
in the community which numbered us 
amongst its members? If perchance, our 
weakness has gained the mastery over us, 
let it be so no longer; but with humility 
and compunction of heart, let us ask our 
sweet Saviour to receive us into the abvss 
of His tender mercy, to wash us from the 
stains contracted by our past transgressions, 
in the great deep of His compassion, and to 
receive us again into the tender embrace of 
His love, that by our renovation of vows 
we may become united to Him anew by an 
indissoluble bond. 

Let us ask our heavenly Father, the King 
of kings, that He may again consummate 
within us, the espousals of His Son and the 
Divine Paraclete, unite our hearts to Jesus 
forevermore in that bond of love, whereby 
He unites the Father and the Son. 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 85 

Let us, likewise turn to our compassionate 
Mother and implore of her bounty, that she 
may graciously renew within us, by the 
chastity of our hearts and all of our senses, 
our espousals with her Son, Jesus. 

And that we may the more worthily cele- 
brate this renewal, let us supplicate our 
beloved patron St. Joseph, to give us a 
share in his humility and charity — the holy 
angels a share in their purity — the holy 
patriarchs and prophets part in their ardent 
longings — the holy Apostles in their zealous 
labors — the holy martyrs a share in their 
courageous, patient sufferings — the holy 
confessors in the finished beauty of their 
holiness and the holy virgins part in their 
chaste and tender affection for their heav- 
enly Bridegroom. 

O how greatly interested are all the Saints 
of Grod in this renewal of ourselves in the 
service of Grod! All are most willing and 
ready to give us the aid of their assistance, 
their powerful intercession with Gk>d. Let 
us ask them, therefore, that all of us who, 
by Grod's infinite mercy, have been admitted 
to this holy Institute, may, for the short 
span of our life yet granted us, love and 
serve our Lord with our whole heart, so 
that, at the hour of our death, we may be 
permitted to go forth to meet Him with the 



86 Manual of Meditations. 

Wise Virgins, even as the bride goeth forth 
to meet the bridegroom, adorned with the 
wedding garment, and having our lamps 
trimmed and bright. 

III. POINT. 

On the day of our religious profession, 
we were received among the number of the 
consecrated spouses of Jesus Christ, and as 
such, we are bound to labor for His honor 
and glory. 

His loving Providence deigned to place 
us in an Institute which has a special work 
to do — a special end to fulfil in His holy 
Church. And this end can only be attained 
by the perfect fidelity of each religious 
belonging to the Institute, to the work 
assigned to her by holy obedience. What, 
therefore, must be the importance of each 
one striving to do her duty — to do it indi- 
vidually — to do it entirely — to do it well! 
Do we conceive, that there is upon each 
one of us a strict obligation to acquire a 
thorough knowledge of our duty? For with- 
out knowing, we can never expect to do the 
thing. To what school of wisdom shall we 
apply for instruction? Our Constitutions 
tell us, and they point out the way we must 
take, the road we must follow, the spirit 
which ought to annimate us, and the models 
we must imitate, if we desire to carry out 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 87 

our Lord's designs, in planting the little 
Institute of St. Joseph in the garden of 
His holy Church. 

Each and every one of us is in duty bound 
to take a true and personal interest in the 
works of the Congregation, and without 
choosing any special part thereof for herself, 
each one should strive to be ever ready to 
do that, appointed to her by her Superior 
who represents our Lord to her. We are 
all one body of which Jesus Christ is the 
head ; and, being happily planted upon the 
rock of Peter, we are known before men as 
the children of the head of the Holy Family. 
If, faithfully carrying out the works pre- 
scribed by the rules of our Institute, and 
carrying them out in the manner and with 
the intentions laid down in them, we may 
confidently hope that our Lord will be satis- 
fied with us, and acknowledge us as His 
own before His heavenly Father. Does our 
conscience bear us the consoling testimony 
that we have always labored zealously for 
the perfection of regular observance? It con- 
stitutes the glory of the house of Grod. It 
gives so much pleasure to the Lord, joy to 
the angels and terror to the demons. It 
builds up a strong wall of defense against 
the spirits of wickedness, is a comfort to 
the Church of God and the edification of 
the faithful. 



88 Manual of Meditations. 

Are we accustomed to look at our Insti- 
tute as the work — not of man but of God — 
whose honor and glory it behooves us to 
uphold by every means in our power? We 
shall do so in proportion as we are humble 
and charitable. These two virtues are set 
forth by the Constitutions as the true char- 
acteristics of our dear Congregation. If, 
therefore, I find myself proud, haughty, 
arrogant, ever on the lookout for my rights, 
ever ready to excuse and palliate my faults, 
I am far from being a daughter of St. Joseph. 
If I am selfish, seek my own ease and con- 
venience to the discomfort of others, refuse 
little services to others, am harsh in my 
judgments of the defects of my neighbor, if 
I am given to detraction and discussing the 
faults of others, and am cold and insensible 
to my neighbor's sufferings, I can have no 
claim whatever to the cherished title of 
child of St. Joseph. 

Let us, in view of past failings and defec- 
tive dispositions, strive to humble ourselves 
in Grod's holy presence and ask of Him to 
send down upon us His Holy Spirit that He 
may renew within us an ardent desire of 
perfection and the love of the spiritual life. 

O Jesus, Thou only life and light of our 
souls ! Kindle within us evermore the glow- 
ing lamp of Thy love. Teach us to keep our 
holy vows faithfully, walking without re- 



Visitation of the Most Holy Virgin. 89 

proach in union of heart and will : giving to 
our Superiors the strong support of our 
respectful love and loyalty, and the comfort 
of a ready obedience and fidelity to Rule : 
thus contributing, as far as lies in us, to the 
strength and unity of the dear Institute to 
which, in Thy tender mercy, Thou didst 
call us. 

O most holy and Immaculate Virgin! 
cast upon us a look of thy tender mercy, 
and by thy powerful intercession obtain 
that this renewal of our holy vows may 
work in us a great hatred of sin and true 
compunction of heart; that it may bring 
about the satisfaction for all our negligences 
and our return to the life we had lost: that 
it may be the enlargement of our love and 
the establishment of our life in Jesus for- 
evermore. 

Pray thy beloved Son that it may be the 
cleansing of our whole life, work in us a per- 
fect liberty of spirit, and a noble generosity 
in all good works. May it be within us the 
triumph of humility and an effectual aid 
towards final perseverance. 

O Virgin, Mother of G-od, and our Mother ! 
encompass us during this mortal life with 
thy tender, compassionate care, and receive 
us into thy maternal bosom at the hour of 
our death. Amen. 

Colloquy with Jesus, Mary and Joseph. 



ADeMtation 

fox tbe feast ot 5t* ffrancis fce Sales* 



INTRODUCTION. 

From the foundation of the Institute of 
St. Joseph, our Congregation has ever cher- 
ished a special devotion to the blessed 
Founder of the Visitation of Holy Mary ; and 
history demonstrates that the original design 
which this admirable saint had planned for 
the first foundation of the Visitandines, is 
none other, than the one adopted by our 
venerated Founders in the establishment of 
the Sisters of St. Joseph at Puy. 

Since, then, there exists so holy and strong 
a relationship between the saintly Bishop 
of Geneva and the daughters of St. Joseph, 
who were destined by Providence to take 
up, and carry out in practice, what he had 
planned amidst careful study, earnest medi- 
tation and fervent supplications in Grod's 
holy presence, we should endeavor to 
strengthen and intensify the same by culti- 
vating a special love for, and devotion to 
this gentle and amiable Saint who seems to 
be the very personification of the sweet and 

(90) 



Feast of St. Francis de Sales. 91 

strong virtues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 
We should do so especially by entering into 
the spirit and animating principle he has 
labored so earnestly to instill into his be- 
loved Institute of the Visitation — the spirit 
of sweetness and gentleness of the virtues 
of humility and charity. 

Let us, therefore, in this meditation on 
the life and virtues of St. Francis de Sales, 
in the first prelude, picture to ourselves the 
Saint raised in heavenly glory surrounded 
by his spiritual children, and in the second 
prelude, ask him for a share in that sweet- 
ness and gentleness which enabled him to 
conquer so many obstinate hearts, and gain 
so many precious souls to Grod. 

I. POINT. 

God never makes two things alike. It is 
one of the privileges of Omnipotence to 
show that, in adhering to the laws which It 
has itself created, It is still the Master of 
those laws. We, on the other hand, usually 
play the part of a machine. We can but 
repeat ourselves, and be the precise copyists 
of our own feebly-conceived and defectively- 
executed originals. 

But He who created the world, and the 
laws within whose limits we toil, is as infin- 
itely varied in the details of His works, as 



92 Manual of Meditations. 

those works themselves are infinite in num- 
ber. The stars differ from one another in 
glory. Of the uncounted variety of flowers 
not two are alike. Every feature in nature 
is unlike any other. Such is the abyss of 
Grod's infinite wisdom, in the creation of 
the universe. 

The same mysterious variety is found to 
prevail in the order of grace, as well as in 
that of nature. This shows itself especially 
among the saints of Grod. 

But, when we turn to the actual lives of 
the saints, is it not striking to find how 
often it has happened that many of them 
had never been suspected to be saints, even 
by the general run of catholics? Some of 
their extraordinary graces have been known 
to so few, that it may be said they were 
almost wholly unknown. Accordingly, as 
far as externals are concerned, they varied 
from one another in the same variety which 
prevails among those that are not saints. 
But as to their interior gifts of grace, how 
great their diversity! 

This is a result of that boundless variety 
which exists in the natural characters which 
God, in His impenetrable wisdom has given 
to each one individually. 

There are among the saints those to whom 
the faithful, by tens of thousands pray 



Feast of St. Francis de Sales. 93 

daily, while others are honored by a devout 
rule rather, than by personal choice of the 
individual christian. We all have our fa- 
vorite saints. It is as difficult to say, why 
we prefer to have recourse to one, rather 
than to another, as it is hard to say, why 
we enjoy the society of one person, in pref- 
erence to that of another. But so it is, and 
so it will be, as long as the world lasts, and 
both the saints, and we who honor them, 
remain as we are. 

The Saint whom the Church honors this 
day, seems to be one of the "favorite 
Saints.' ? There appears in St. Francis de 
Sales that union of sweetness and strength 
— of manly power and feminine delicacy — 
of profound knowledge and practical dex- 
terity which constitute a character, at once 
formed to win, and subdue minds of almost 
every type and age. As the rose among 
flowers, so is he among saints. From the 
thorny, woody fibre of the brier comes forth 
that blossom which unites all that can make 
a flower lovely and attractive; and from 
the hot, vehement nature of the young 
Saint, came a spiritual flower of extraordin- 
ary beauty and exquisite fragrance. 

A lover of gentle means in an age of 
persecution — a spiritual guide who could 
conduct souls with the reverent delicacy of 



94 Manual of Meditations. 

a true mystic and the piercing shrewdness 
of a man of the world, he still lives by his 
many works of charity and piety — still lives 
by his truly admirable writings which, in 
the Church, are held in the highest esteem 
to be the accepted as the safest, most satis- 
fying, and most profound teacher of that 
heavenly wisdom which is revealed to all 
the saints, but given to few to communicate 
with the fulness, sweetness and beauty, 
with which it ever flows from his blessed 
lips, and easy pen. 

II. POINT. 

What a wonderful Saint was St. Francis 
de Sales! How well-balanced were all his 
mental and physical qualities! His intel- 
lectual and spiritual powers were capable of 
attaining the highest perfection. Yet, we 
must not think that although, his path was 
full of light, he was not tempted and tried 
like other men. 

While quite a young student at Paris, our 
Saint was severely harassed by a temptation 
to despair, from which, after six weeks 
duration, he was miraculously delivered, 
after having earnestly besought the aid of 
the Blessed Virgin, before an altar conse- 
crated to her. Having been born during 
the Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed 



Feast of St. Francis de Sales. 95 

Virgin, he had always a peculiar devotion 
towards her. From his tenderest years, he 
sought to honor her, both by special suf- 
frages and by a singular love of purity, 
consecrating himself by a vow of perpetual 
virginity under the protection and aid of 
this Queen of Virgins. He received Epis- 
copal Consecration on the feast of the Im- 
maculate Conception and during this holy 
ceremony, the gift of that interior unction 
for which he was so much noted. 

Indeed, there was nothing that the Saint 
so strongly recommended to his spiritual 
children, as devotion to the Blessed Virgin. 

Condescension to the humors of others, 
and the sweet, but most reasonable endur- 
ance of our neighbor, were the cherished 
and special virtues of this dear Saint; and 
he was constantly recommending them to 
his children, often saying to them: "0 how 
much shorter work it is to accommodate our- 
selves to others, than to wish to bend every 
one to our own humors and opinions! " 
We must condescend in everything, where 
G-od is not offended or less honored. 

A little gentleness, moderation and mod- 
esty, he said, are sufficient for this purpose. 
When conversing with our neighbor, we 
ought to take pleasure in it, and show that 
we do so ; and when we are alone, we must 



96 Manual of Meditations. 

take pleasure in our solitude. We ought to 
cultivate an even and reasonable temper of 
mind delighting in our various occupations, 
such as prayer, recreation, silence, work — 
each at its proper time. Thus we may say 
with the prophet: "I will bless the Lord at 
all times: His praise shall be ever in my 
mouth. " 

His beautiful soul ever bore the stamp 
of that serenity which, one may say, was 
his distinguishing characteristic. Though 
of a naturally quick temper, he had learned 
to possess his soul in peace. This constant, 
blessed serenity is the perpetual blue sky of 
the soul, and indicates the presence of the 
Lord who, as its true Sun, deigns to illum- 
inate it, and diffusing its rays abroad. 

Very strong souls are generally serene. 
What produces excitement, passion and dis- 
turbance is not strength, but weakness. It 
is the overflow of some human, immortified 
element. But the majestic strength of this 
most gentle of Saints had that stamp of 
serenity and sweetness, which likened him 
to the Angels of Glod. Nay, it was even 
remarked by those that knew him best, that 
no one reminded them so much of the Son 
of G-od conversing among men here on 
earth, as the Saint in his aspect, the sweet- 
ness of his expression — even the tone of 



Feast of St. Francis de Sales. 97 

his voice, the grace of his movements, his 
actions and behavior among those with 
whom he conversed. 

We are all probably conscious of the 
great power which a calm tranquillity and 
serenity of manner exert over us. What 
confidence do they not inspire! What in- 
fluence for good! With teachers a calm 
serenity of manner, a sweet graciousness of 
expression, are the qualities which most 
impose on children, and give command. 

May our beloved Saint give us a share in 
his gentle, yet strong and vigorous spirit 
which enabled him to do so much for the 
glory of G-od and the salvation of souls. 
May he obtain for us the spirit of the sweet 
and tender charity of the Heart of Jesus, 
from which he himself had imbibed so large 
a share. 

Possessed of this spirit we shall be blessed 
indeed. It will most admirably order 
everything within us, and help us to suc- 
ceed wonderfully in our labors for the sal- 
vation of souls. 

How admirable are the operations of Grod 
in His Saints! Let us give humble thanks 
for having, in the plans of Divine Provi- 
dence, become so closely allied to so great 
and amiable a Saint, by being chosen, in 
spite of our unworthiness, to carry out in 



98 Manual of Meditations. 

our lives and actions the cherished design 
of his devoted and faithful heart. 

III. POINT. 

The whole life of St. Francis was one of 
ceaseless activity, heroic efforts in conquer- 
ing obstacles, and grand success in assuring 
the salvation of souls. He had the mind of 
an ascetic, and the heart and soul of a true 
apostle of Jesus Christ. He was a most 
courageous missionary and powerful cham- 
pion of the Church of God. 

Who, like him, could have undertaken 
and carried on with such fearless determi- 
nation and success the apostolate of the 
Chablais, to bring back to the true faith 
the seventy thousand souls, whom the sin 
of heresy had forcibly torn from the bosom 
of Holy Mother Church? 

How did he manage amidst all this con- 
stant activity, to find leisure to give that 
sweet and gracious attention, so usual with 
him, to innumerable people who applied to 
him for advice and instruction, or who 
came for pecuniary assistance? — He drew 
his strength from prayer. — Humble, perse- 
vering, fervent prayer was the secret of his 
extraordinary success. 

How do we apply to prayer? Is it perse- 
veringly made, in spite of great obstacles? — 



Feast of St. Francis de Sales. 99 

Are we convinced of our ownunworthiness, 
and do we chiefly depend on the goodness 
and mercy of G-od, through the merits of 
Jesus Christ I Let us have recourse to this 
loving Saint — he will teach us how to pray. 
He does so, in fact, by his sacred writings 
which merited for him the title of Doctor 
of the Church. His method of prayer is 
placed before us in the Formulary of our 
Community prayers, which we should often 
read over at our leisure. Do we diligently 
study it, and appropriate it to ourselves? 
And how far have we succeeded during the 
past ? Is there no room for improvement in 
the future ! 

Speaking of devotion, the Saint used to 
say, that it was a gentle and tranquil fervor, 
while eagerness is an indiscreet and turbu- 
lent bubble, which pulls down, while it 
thinks to build up. Although he possessed 
the most eminent virtues, nevertheless, he 
had a tender love for the smallest, that is 
for those which appear such before men; 
for he was accustomed to say, there were 
none, especially of the infused, which were 
not great before G-od. All occupations, 
great or small, were equal to our Saint, pro- 
vided they concerned God's service. 

A remarkable saying of his, concerning 
charity towards our neighbor, was this: 



100 Manual of Meditations. 

The soul of our neighbor is the tree of the 
knowledge of good and evil, which we are 
forbidden to touch under pain of chastise- 
ment ; because Gk>d has reserved the judg- 
ment thereof to Himself. — He observed an 
inconsistency common among men, who 
are by nature inclined to judge in a matter, 
wherein they are ignorant, namely the 
interior of others : while they are averse to 
judging of what they do know, or ought to 
know — namely, their own interior. The 
first is forbidden, the second is commanded. 
He gave it as a rule, that if an act may be 
viewed in a hundred different lights, to 
always look at it in the fairest. In short it 
was the opinion of this most gentle and 
charitable of Saints, that those who keep a 
faithful watch over their own conscience, 
will seldom, or never sin by rash judgments 
or in any other way, detrimental to their 
neighbor. 

Colloquy with St. Francis. 



Habitation 

for tbe jf east of St. Ueresa of Jesus* 



INTRODUCTION. 

How truly admirable are the ways of God in 
His providential guidance of human events, 
for the execution of His adorable designs ! 

St. Teresa, the Seraphic Virgin of Carmel, 
who was so great a client of the dear Fos- 
ter-father of our Lord, and — we may say, 
the Apostle of the devotion to St. Joseph 
during her life-time — was the first one in 
Spain who dedicated churches and con- 
vents in his honor: and in less than a cen- 
tury afterwards, her own feast is honored 
by the celebration of an event, which, had 
she still been an inhabitant of this world, 
would have filled her loving heart with the 
sweetest joy, and the most heartfelt grati- 
tude. 

On the 15th of October 1650, the chapel 
of the Orphanage of the City of Le Puy, 
France, was the scene of a religious cere- 
mony that was celebrated to illustrate, and 
reflect great glory on the Saint she loved 
with such singular affection, namely, the 

(101) 



102 Manual of Meditations* 

clothing with the religious habit of a select 
number of chosen souls, who were hence- 
forth to be known as the Daughters of the 
little Institute of St. Joseph. 

May we not piously believe that, from her 
high place in heaven, the seraphic Virgin, 
Teresa of Jesus, was present at the cere- 
mony, and rejoiced at the new honor thus 
given to the great Saint whom the Eternal 
Wisdom had chosen to be the reputed 
Father of the Incarnate Word, and whom 
she had ever cherished as her most beloved 
Patron? Will she not especially interest her- 
self in our behalf, bearing as we do, the name 
of him so much cherished during her life- 
time, and for the advancement of whose hon- 
or she labored so efficiently here on earth. 
The feast of St. Teresa being the birthday 
of our Congregation is, therefore, for each 
one of us, who have been called to this 
blessed Institute, the beginning of a long 
chain of graces and blessings, which we 
shall never be able to sufficiently understand 
or appreciate. It ought to be for us a day 
of special thanksgiving for the grace of 
vocation and all that this means to us — a 
day of joy and gladness, at having been 
chosen without any merit on our part, to 
follow the Lord more closely, and to serve 
Him more faithfully than the common run 



Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus. 103 

of christians. — May we, during this medita- 
tion on the life and virtues of the glorious 
Virgin of Carmel, enter deeply into her 
sweet spirit of thankfulness, which all 
through her writings manifests itself in a 
thousand endearing expressions of grateful 
love. She will teach us how to pray, how 
to labor, and how to suffer for the glory of 
the Beloved. 

First Prelude : Imagine you see the Saint 
on her death-bed, surrounded by her spirit- 
ual children who are carefully treasuring up 
the words and actions of the dying Saint — 
especially these words which she repeats 
again and again: " After all, O Lord, I am 
a child of the Holy Catholic Church ! ? ' and 
these words of the Prophet-King: U A con- 
trite and humble heart, Lord, Thou wilt 
not despise. " 

Second Prelude: Implore the Saint to 
obtain for you a share in her generous love 
for her heavenly Spouse, that you may 
learn from her how to pray, to labor and 
to suffer for Grod. 

I. POINT. 

What was it that obtained for St. Teresa 
such immense treasures of grace, such ardor 
of love, such strength in overcoming ob- 
stacles in the way of virtue. It was prayer 
— faithful perseverance in prayer. 



104 Manual of Meditations. 

There is perhaps no Saint so singularly 
adapted, or so well qualified to teach this 
holy science, as this highly privileged Vir- 
gin. No one, seemingly, had so many, and 
such varied opportunities to acquire a prac- 
tical knowledge of its difficulties, trials, 
aridities, temptations of abandoning the 
same, and finally resuming its practice and 
persevering therein, till reaching the most 
exalted heights of contemplation. 

One could scarcely find anyone so upright 
and translucent in the communication of 
her difficulties and shortcomings to her 
spiritual directors — who sought instruction 
from them so eagerly, and who followed the 
same more conscientiously or with greater 
exactitude, than our Saint; and by this, she, 
no doubt, deserved to make such wonderful 
progress in prayer, and to be instructed in 
this sacred science by our Lord Himself. 

From her earliest childhood, St. Teresa 
seemed to possess the gift of prayer which 
was fostered and encouraged by her thor- 
oughly Catholic parents. What prompted 
the flight of the dear child, at the age of 
seven, to go into Africa with her little 
brother, in order to obtain there the grace 
of martyrdom? Was it not the gift of pray- 
er? She had been meditating on the words 
"Ever and never" and having read in the 



Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus. 105 

lives of the Saints of the glorious victories 
of the martyrs who died for the faith, and 
who had thus assured unto themselves an 
everlasting reward, the dear little ones could 
not refrain from wishing to w r alk in their 
footsteps, so as to gain a like recompense. 

What happiness for children to have good 
Catholic parents who attach importance to 
the things of Glod — of eternity: — who teach 
their little ones, how to pray, how to medi- 
tate, how to draw practical conclusions from 
the consideration of Catholic truth ! 

We religious, having the care of orphans, 
or the education of children placed in our 
charge, may consider here our golden op- 
portunity for moulding the character and 
forming the dispositions of the precious 
little souls confided to us by our Lord. 
What matchless good seed may we not sow 
in the hearts of these little ones! The care- 
ful early training of St. Teresa was the pre- 
cious seed, that laid the foundation of her 
future sanctity. 

There is nothing which St. Teresa recom- 
mends to us so strongly, as perseverance — 
courageous perseverance in prayer in spite of 
obstacles. — By it, she tells us, we assure our 
salvation — but without it, we shall be lost. 

prayer, how dost thou exalt the soul of 
the glorious Virgin of Carmel, detach it 



106 Manual of Meditations. 

from the earth and from self and reveal to 
her the secrets of the kingdom of Jesus 
Christ ! May I ever cherish thee and perse- 
vere in thee to the end ! 

Yes, Lord! St. Teresa literally accom- 
plished these words of Thy Apostle: "Our 
conversation is in heaven. " Her life was 
hidden with Jesus Christ in God. I do not 
aspire to the sublimity of her prayer. — But, 
do thou, dear Saint, so rich in merits gained 
in prayer, obtain for me the prayer of faith 
and love, that I may be so closely united to 
Jesus in all my actions, as never to lose 
sight of the beloved of my heart. 

II. POINT. 

St. Teresa seems to have been raised up 
in these latter times to console the Church 
for the rebellion of her children. She re- 
ceived special lights upon the truths assailed 
by heretics ; she read them in the very light 
of God, and spoke of them with an elo- 
quence which was like the voice of God. 

Is it not wonderful that a simple nun 
should have written so fully upon such sub- 
lime subjects, without a word escaping her 
which could be censured by the severest 
criticism? Teresa was guided by prayer, 
and the Spirit of Ood guarded her from all 
danger. The sublime faith which was His 



Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus. 107 

gift extended not only to the mysteries of 
religion, it instructed her also in all the 
secrets of the interior life. It taught her 
what God is to a soul full of good will, and 
what such a soul is to God ; it unfolded to 
her all the consequences of her religious 
profession, all the degrees of perfection, all 
the various ways in which God is pleased to 
guide a soul, all the illusions which spring 
from self-love or from the malice of the evil 
one. The Saint learned all these lessons in 
prayer; prayer was the school of faith, and 
faith the reward of prayer. 

May we not consider our want of faith as 
the fruit of our coldness in prayer? Ah! if 
we but gave ourselves to prayer, faith would 
revive in our soul; faith would control our 
senses; faith would conquer our pusillan- 
imity; and all our judgments of the world, 
and all that the world esteems would be 
conformed to the judgment of our Lord, 
the author of our faith. Our vocal prayers, 
now often so cold, so hurried, and so fruit- 
less, would be clothed with the intelligence 
of faith and invested with new beauty. Our 
conversations would bear upon them the 
stamp and the seal of faith, and show forth 
the sweetness and charity of Christ. Had 
St. Teresa not been a child of prayer, 
her faith would have been weak, closely 



108 Manual of Meditations. 

bordering upon that dead faith which leads 
to perdition. Faith led the Saint to prayer, 
and prayer perfected her faith. 

O prayer of faith ! O faith nourished by 
prayer ! How gloriously do you shine forth 
in the life of the Seraphic Virgin of Carmel ! 

Give me, Lord, through the intercession 
of this blessed Saint the spirit of prayer, 
that I may believe, and the spirit of faith, 
that I may pray. Give me also a share in 
her ardent love of, and confidence in, Thy 
ever-blessed Mother and the glorious St. 
Joseph, her beloved Patron. 

When losing her mother, at the age of 
twelve, Thou, O sweet Jesus, didst inspire 
this child of benediction with so lively, and 
tender a devotion to Thy blessed Mother, 
as to attach her throughout life, most inti- 
mately to her service. At her altars, she 
conceived the plan of her reform, and under 
her auspices, and St. Joseph's protection, 
she carried it out. She transmitted the 
same devotion to our Lady and her blessed 
Spouse to her beloved children of Carmel, 
as a most precious inheritance. 

III. POINT. 

"Either to suffer or to die,' 7 was the 
watchword of the Virgin of Carmel. For 
the most part in ill health, her life was a 



Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus. 109 

succession of crosses and sufferings, which 
faithfully accompanied her, even to the end. 
Sufferings, the Saint ever considered as the 
most precious portion of the children of Grod. 
Enlightened by faith, she beheld with sor- 
row the fearful ravages which the then pre- 
vailing and rising heresies wrought in the 
Church, and, touched to the heart, at seeing 
the injured glory of her heavenly Spouse, 
and the loss of so many thousands of souls, 
she willingly undertakes the painful, trying 
and very laborious task of restoring the an- 
cient splendors of Carmel in her own Order 
— which task implied the entire sacrifice of 
self, a thousand times over — painful humilia- 
tions, persecutions, disappointments, labors 
and journeyings, and crosses of all kinds. 
She longed, with all the ardor of her gener- 
ous heart to repair, as far as lay in her 
power, the outraged glory of Grod, and the 
honor of His Bride, the Church, who was 
being so grossly insulted, and so ignomini- 
ously maltreated by the heretics of her day, 
and for this end, she desired to found new 
convents, after the ancient strictness of 
discipline, wherein the Lord would be de- 
doutly served, and whose inmates would 
pray unceasingly for the defenders of the 
faith — for the priests and missionaries of 
the Church who were zealously promoting 



110 Manual of Meditations. 

its interests at home, among heretics; or 
abroad, among pagan nations to bring them 
to a knowledge of the truth. 

How well she succeeded, and of the trials 
under which her work was accomplished, 
history tells us. It also tells us that, not 
only did her reform affect her own Order, 
but likewise all the Orders of the Church 
of Grod, chiefly those of Spain — her own 
country. 

Thus, the aspirations and modest efforts 
of an humble nun — a religious poor in the 
goods of earth and worldly credit, but rich 
in virtue and heavenly desires, are crowned 
with a success, it would have been difficult 
to conceive or anticipate. 

"Where did St. Teresa obtain that super- 
human courage which sustained her in the 
labors and contradictions accompanying 
the reform? She found it in prayer — in her 
union with God whom she sought and found 
in prayer. Prayer was the foundation of 
her work, the source of her illuminations, 
the armory whence she derived the weapons 
to defend herself against her enemies. She 
rose from prayer to confront the difficulties 
in her path, as the martyrs went forth from 
prayer to tortures and death. 

She roused the hearts of men to aid her, 
and quickened them with her own energy. 



Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus. Ill 

Toilsome journeys, dissentions within, op- 
position without, the human prudence of 
friends and directors, earth and hell arrayed 
against her. — All were alike impotent to 
dismay or discourage this wonderful Saint. 

From St. Teresa let us learn devotion to 
the Church — let us love the apostolate of 
souls whose loss she deplored with an ever- 
increasing sorrow and compassion, and to 
save whom she would willingly have en- 
dured torments and death. Who inspired 
her with this ardent love of souls? It was, 
because by the light of faith she recognized 
in them the image and likeness of God which 
is obscured by sin, especially by mortal sin. 

"0 souls! " the Saint cries out, "souls, 
redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ! 
Know and pity yourselves ! How is it pos- 
sible that, knowing this truth, as you do, 
you do not endeavor to take away the black 
pitch of sin with which this beautiful, 
bright crystal of your soul is covered ! Con- 
sider, when once your life is ended, you will 
never return any more to enjoy this light. " 

Addressing her sisters she says: — "Let 
us take particular care, to pray for those in 
mortal sin; it is a very great charity. If 
we saw a christian with his hands bound 
behind him with a strong chain, and tied 
fast to a pillar, and dying with hunger — not 



112 Manual of Meditations. 

through want of victuals, having every 
delicacy before him, but because he cannot 
reach them and that he was about to die, 
not a temporal, but an eternal death: would 
it not be a great cruelty to stand looking 
on, and not give him anything to eat? But 
what if, by your prayers, his chains also 
could be loosened? For the love of God, 
I beg of you always to remember such souls 
in your prayers. " 

Considering our holy vocation to the 
Institute of St. Joseph, whose object is to 
foster in our various duties and employ- 
ments, the apostolate of souls, let us rejoice 
in being thus associated with the aims and 
intentions of the Virgin of Carmel and her 
faithful children. They are carrying on a 
most fruitful apostolate by a life of strict 
seclusion, penance, and constant, fervent 
prayer and supplication ; and we, by uniting 
the duties of Mary and Martha — joining the 
zealous labors of the latter to the recollec- 
tion and prayer of the former — after the 
example of our Lord and His Apostles. 

O great St. Teresa, chosen Spouse of Our 
Lord ! Thou art the cherished daughter of 
the Virgin Mother of God, the joy and the 
glory of the Carmelite Order! Thou art a 
teacher in the school of prayer, the pattern 
of contemplatives and a model of religious 



Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus. 113 

decorum! Intercede for the children of St. 
Joseph. 

O Seraph of divine love! whose heart 
was pierced with the flaming dart from the 
hand of an angel, preserve us by thy holy 
intercession from all sin and from the illu- 
sions and snares of the devil, from sloth in 
the interior life, and from all hardness of 
heart. Obtain peace for our holy Mother 
the Church, and for heretics and unbelievers 
the gift of true faith. Implore the grace of 
conversion for poor sinners ; and for us, O 
holy Mother St. Teresa, obtain the spirit 
and the love of prayer, an ardent love of 
God, the pardon of our sins, and the grace 
of final perseverance. 



o-<D 




2>evotfons ant> flliebitattons 

for the 

IRovena preparatory for tbe Jfeast 
of pentecoat 



Conformably to our Constitutions, let us 
spend the prescribed extra half hour each 
day of this Novena in fervent prayer, to 
honor the Holy Spirit, who is the principle 
of all graces ; and to do so more perfectly, 
let us unite ourselves with our Blessed 
Mother and the holy Apostles and Disciples 
in the Supper-Room, and implore through 
their powerful intercession, a large share in 
the gifts and fruits of the Holy Grhost. 

Begin the Meditation by reciting or chant- 
ing the "Veni Creator' ? with versicle and 
prayer of the Church. 

Some of the following prayers may be recited at the 
conclusion of the Meditation. 

O Spirit of Wisdom, preside over all my 
thoughts, words and actions, from this hour, 
till the moment of my death. 

(114) 



Feast of Pentecost. 115 

Spirit of Understanding, enlighten and 
teach me. 

Spirit of Counsel, direct my inexperience. 

Spirit of Fortitude, strengthen my weak- 
ness. 

Spirit of Knowledge, instruct my ignor- 
ance. 

Spirit of Piety, make me fervent in good 
works. 

Spirit of Fear, restrain me from all evil. 

O Spirit of Peace, give me Thy peace; 
make me persevere in the service of Grod ; 
enable me to act on all occasions with good- 
ness and benignity, patience, charity and 
joy, long-suffering, mildness, and fidelity. 
Let the heavenly virtues of modesty, con- 
tinence and chastity adorn the temple Thou 
hast chosen for Thy abode. Spirit of 
Holiness, by Thy all powerful grace, pre- 
serve my soul from the misfortune of sin. 
Amen. 

An Oblation to the Holy Ghost. 

On my knees, before the great cloud of 
witnesses, I offer myself soul and body to 
Thee, eternal Spirit of God. I adore the 
brightness of Thy purity, the unerring 
keenness of Thy justice, and the might of 
Thy love. 

Thou art the strength and light of my 
soul. I desire never to grieve Thee by un- 



116 Manual of Meditations. 

faithfulness to grace, and I pray with all 
my heart to be kept from the smallest sin 
against Thee. Make me faithful in every 
thought ; and grant that I may always listen 
to Thy voice, and watch for Thy light and 
follow Thy gracious inspirations. I cling 
to Thee, and give myself to Thee, and ask 
Thee, by Thy compassion to watch over me 
in my weakness. Holding the pierced feet 
of Jesus, and looking at His five wounds, 
and trusting to His precious Blood, and 
adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, 
I implore Thee, adorable Spirit so to keep 
me in Thy grace, that I may never sin 
against Thee with the sin Thou canst not 
forgive. Give me grace, Holy Ghost, 
Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to 
Thee always and everywhere, " Speak Lord, 
for Thy servant heareth." 

Prayer to the Holy Ghost. 

O Divine breathing of the Holy Spirit, 
make Thyself felt in my soul; awaken it 
from the lethargy in which it lies: shake 
off the languor in which it is sunk; bear 
away the dust that adheres to all I do ; work 
in me every change that Thou knowest to be 
necessary to me, divine Paraclete; give me 
one of those tongues of light, of charity, of 
perfection, which descended on the Apostles, 



Feast of Pentecost. 117 

that I may thereby bless Thy name, con- 
fess my sins, teach with love, answer with 
meekness, be silent when becoming, and 
edify in all things. And you, O holy Apos- 
tles, who on the solemn day of Pentecost 
did receive unto fulness the spirit of unity 
and sanctity, obtain for us also so signal a 
gift, that, believing all the truths that you 
have taught, practising all the works that 
you have recommended, living and dying 
in the Church which you have founded, I 
may attain with you the blessed and eternal 
recompense which you have taught us to 
ask and hope. Amen. 

Another Prayer to the Holy Ghost. 

O Holy Grhost, father of the poor and 
comforter of the afflicted, come and descend 
upon us. Illumine us with Thy light, gov- 
ern us with Thy wisdom, sanctify us by Thy 
love, animate us with Thy grace, sustain us 
with Thy strength, penetrate us with Thy 
unction, adopt us as sons by Thy charity, 
make us peaceful by Thy presence, save us 
by Thy infinite mercy, and lift us up from 
earth to heaven, that we may praise Thee, 
bless Thee, and love Thee for all eternity. 
Amen. 



118 Manual of Meditations. 

Hymn to the Holy Ghost. 

Paraclete, whom Jesus sent to me 
"Who, one with Him didst give Thyself to me, 
Thou Love of God Most High, who lovest me, 
Thou King and Lord, who sweetly drawest me, 
For life, and light and love I come to Thee. 

From Father and from Son proceedest Thou ; 
Of Father and of Son the Love art Thou ; 
Their Kiss of everlasting peace art Thou ; 
The Bond unbroken of their rest art Thou ; 
One God with Father and with Son art Thou. 

My soul is dark and helpless without Thee ; 
My heart is weak and withered without Thee ; 
My life is burnt like stubble without Thee ; 
I cannot say "My Jesus" without Thee; 
O loved One, pour Thy living light on me. 

1 come to Thee, Almighty, living One, 
In poverty of soul, O Living One ; 

In sinfulness and death, O Living One ; 
O make my spirit Thine, Thou living One, 
And be Thou mine, Thou ever Living One. 

For sorrow for my sins I come to Thee ; 
For confidence in God I come to Thee ; 
For faithfulness to grace I come to Thee ; 
To keep, O Love, my promises to Thee, 
And walk in white with Jesus and with Thee. 



Feast of Pentecost. 119 

A Wind rain-laden from the South art Thou ; 
The Dew that f alleth in the night art Thou ; 
A Fountain in the desert land art Thou ; 
A flame-girt Citadel of strength art Thou ; 
The fiery Furnace of God's love art Thou. 

O Spirit of my Lord, who lightest me, 
Thou who didst come at Pentecost to me, 
Thou Love, who seekest thirstingly for me, 
Burn up all evil and all death in me, 
And make my heart a holiness to Thee, 

O Gift of Jesus crucified, O Love, 
Send down Thy showers upon Thy fields, O Love, 
Fill all the valleys with Thy corn, O Love, 
And girdle all the hills with joy, O Love, 
O First and Last, O uncreated Love. 

Thou stoopest in Thy deathless Love to me, 
Thou fillest all the house of God for me, 
Thou crowixest all the years with grace for me ; 
Long-suffering Spirit, how I cling to Thee, 
And love and bless and praise and worship Thee ! 

My Jesus gave himself in death by Thee, 
A spotless Sacrifice to God by Thee ; 
O perfect all Thy gifts and fruits in me, 
That, crowned and sceptered, I may dwell in Thee 
White-robed, palm-bearing, in the Light with 
Thee. 



120 Manual of Meditations . 

Contemplation on tbe glorious 
ascension of ©ur Xorfc* 



jfor tbe JFeast ot tbe Hscensiom 

(Taken from St. Bonaventure.) 

First Prelude : Imagine yourself on Mount 
Olivet in the presence of the Blessed Virgin, 
the Apostles and Disciples. 

Second Prelude : Ask, through the inter- 
cession of the Blessed Virgin and Apostles 
and Disciples for the spirit of detachment 
from the things of this world. 

I. POINT. 

On the fortieth day after His resurrec- 
tion our Lord Jesus, knowing that His 
time was now come to depart from this 
world, and to pass hence to His Father, 
taking with Him the holy patriarchs, proph- 
ets and others, who after His resurrection 
were in the terrestrial paradise ; and bless- 
ing Enoch and Elias, who remained there 
still alive, he came to His Apostles who 
were gathered together on Mount Sion, 
which was the place where He made His 
last supper the night before His passion. 
There were likewise with the Apostles at this 



Feast of Pentecost. 121 

place, the Blessed Virgin, and many other 
disciples ; and our Lord appearing to them, 
said that He would eat with them before He 
departed from them, as a special token and 
memorial of the love He bore them. And 
as they were all eating, being full of joy 
and spritual comfort at this last refection 
of our Lord Jesus, He said to them, "The 
time is now come in which I must return to 
Him that sent me ; but you shall remain in 
the city till you are clothed with the virtue 
descending from above; for within a few 
days you shall be filled with the Holy Grhost, 
as I before promised you. After which you 
shall de dispersed throughout the whole 
world, to preach my gospel, baptising all 
that shall believe in me ; so that you shall 
be my witnesses to the utmost confines of 
the earth.' J He likewise reproved them for 
their incredulity in not believing those who 
had seen him rise, that is the angels. 

This He chose to do at the time He was 
speaking to them of preaching His gospel, 
to give them to understand that they ought 
to have believed the angels, even before 
they saw Him, much sooner than they 
ought to be believed by those to whom they 
were to preach, who nevertheless, would 
believe them, though they should not see 
Him. This He did, that by knowing their 



122 Manual of Meditations. 

fault, they might be humble; showing them 
at His departure how much he admired that 
virtue, and that He recommended it to them 
in a singular manner. And what can we 
think of His blessed Mother? May we not 
devoutly imagine, that, sitting near Him, 
and hearing what He said concerning His 
departure, she was moved with the tender- 
ness of her motherly affection? But our 
Blessed Lord endeavored to comfort her 
and said: "Grieve not, O beloved parent, 
at my leaving you, because I go to my 
Father ; and it is expedient that you remain 
here a short time longer, to confirm in their 
faith, such as shall be converted and believe 
in me, and afterwards I will come again, 
and take you with me, to be a partaker of 
my glory." To whom again our Lady 
replied: "My beloved son, may Thy will 
always be fulfilled in all things, for I am 
not only contented to remain here during 
Thy pleasure, but to suffer death for love of 
those souls, for which Thou hast so willing- 
ly laid down Thy life; this, however, I 
beseech Thee, be Thou ever mindful of me." 
Our Lord then again comforted her, with 
the disciples and Mary Magdalen, saying, 
"Let not your hearts be troubled, nor fear 
ye anything ; I will not leave you desolate ; 
I go, but will shortly return again to you, 
and will remain always with you." 



Feast of Pentecost. 123 

At length, He bid them remove from 
thence, and go to Mount Olivet, because 
from that place He would ascend into 
Heaven, in the presence of them all: — say- 
ing this, he disappeared. His holy Mother, 
with the rest of the company, hastened to 
the said mount, about a mile distant from 
Jerusalem, as He had appointed, where our 
Lord soon again appeared to them. Behold, 
on this day we have two different appari- 
tions of our Lord. Thus, being all together, 
our Lord embraced His holy Mother, and 
she, again embraced Him in a most tender 
manner, taking leave of each other. And 
the disciples, Mary Magdalen and the rest, 
falling down to the ground, and weeping 
with tenderness, kissed His blessed feet, 
and He, raising them up, embraced all His 
apostles most lovingly. Let us now, religi- 
ous soul, diligently consider them and 
devoutly contemplate all that is here done : 
and amongst the rest, let us behold the holy 
souls, who, being present, though invisible, 
joyfully admire, and inwardly praise the 
Blessed Virgin, by whom they receive so 
great a benefit as their salvation. They 
behold, with pleasing admiration, the glori- 
ous champions, and leaders of God's hosts, 
the Apostles, whom our Lord Jesus had 
chosen from among all others, to conquer 



124 Manual of Meditations. 

and subdue the world, and bring it over to 
the belief of His holy doctrine. 

II. POINT. 

At length, when the mysteries were all 
fulfilled and completed, our Lord Jesus be- 
gan gradually to raise Himself up before 
them, and to ascend, by His own virtue and 
power into Heaven. And then the Blessed 
Virgin, with the rest, fell down and devout- 
ly worshipped Him. Then our Lord, lifting 
up his hands, with serene and pleasing 
aspect, crowned with glory, victoriously 
ascended into Heaven: but first, blessing 
them, he said: "Be steadfast, and fight 
courageously, for I shall always be with 
you, even to the end of the word." Thus, 
our Lord Jesus, all glorious and resplen- 
dently shining, ascended into Heaven, tri- 
umphantly leading with Him the noble 
tribe of holy souls, and fulfilling that which 
the prophet Micah had said long before His 
ascension. "And their king shall pass 
before them, and the Lord at the head of 
them." So that they all followed Him with 
unspeakable joy, singing canticles of praises 
and thanksgivings to Him, for their deliver- 
ance from all sorrow, and their entrance 
into all joy, and never-ending felicity. And 
Michael, the prince of God's celestial host, 



Feast of Pentecost. 125 

going before, carried the joyful tidings of 
their Lord's ascending, at which the whole 
heavenly court of celestial spirits came forth 
to meet their Lord, and with all worship 
and reverence, they led Him with hymns 
and songs of jubilation, repeating with in- 
expressible joy, Alleluja, Alleluja! Having 
paid their due reverence to the Lord ; and 
ended the joyful canticles which related to 
His glorious ascension, the angels and the 
holy souls from Limbus began to rejoice 
together. And what tongue can express, or 
mind conceive, that which passed between 
them at this happy, happy meeting? The 
blessed spirits first began to congratulate 
them on their arrival, saying in this manner : 
"Ye princes of (rod's people, ye are wel- 
come to our eternal habitation, and we 
rejoice and are glad at your arrival: Ye all 
are gathered together, and wonderfully ex- 
alted with our Grod; Alleluja! Therefore, 
rejoice and sing to Him who so gloriously 
ascendeth to Heaven, and above the Heaven 
of heavens; Alleluja! " 

To which the holy souls again joyfully 
replied, " To you, princes of God's people, 
Alleluja! Our guardians and helpers ! Alle- 
luja! Joy and peace forever, Alleluja! Let 
us sing and make mirth to our King and 
our Saviour, Alleluja! Now we joyfully 



126 Manual of Meditations. 

enter into the house of our Lord, Alleluja! 
To remain forever in the glorious city of 
Grod, Alleluja! As sheep of our Lord's pas- 
ture we enter His gates, Alleluja! With 
hymns and canticles, Alleluja! For the 
Lord of power is with us, Alleluja! For, 
according to the prophet, "The Lord is 
ascended in shouts of joy, and the Lord in 
the sound of a trumpet." Our Lord Jesus 
ascended visibly for the greater comfort of 
His Mother, and disciples, that they might 
see Him as far as they could. And behold, 
U A cloud received Him out of their sight, 
and in an instant they were present in 
Heaven." And as the Blessed Virgin and 
the disciples were still looking up, two an- 
gels stood beside them in white garments, 
who began to comfort them, telling them 
not to look longer after His body, which 
they saw ascend so gloriously into Heaven, 
for that they should not see Him any more 
in that form until the Day of Judgment, 
when He should come to judge the living 
and the dead. They bid them return into 
the city again, and there to expect the com- 
ing of the Holy Grhost, as He Himself had 
told them. Our Lord Jesus, in company 
with that blessed tribe of holy souls, opened 
the gates of Heaven, which for a long time 
had been shut to mankind, and as a victori- 



Feast of Pentecost, 127 

ous conqueror, triumphantly entered in, 
and joyfully saluting His Father, said: "0 
Holy Father, I return Thee thanks for the 
glorious victory Thou hast given me over 
all our enemies: behold, O Eternal Father, 
I here present to Thee our friends, who, till 
this time, have been detained in banish- 
ment and in prison ! And as I have promised 
to my disciples and brethren, whom I have 
left in the world, to send them the Holy 
Ghost, the comforter, I beseech Thee to 
fulfil my promise; for, to Thy care and 
protection I recommend them." To which 
we may well imagine the Eternal Father re- 
plied: "My blessed Son, to Thee all power 
is given in Heaven and earth, wherefore, 
concerning all Thou hast asked, dispose 
and order as shall seem most expedient to 
Thee." After this, the angelical spirits 
and holy souls who remained all the time 
prostrate before the throne of the most 
adorable Trinity, arose, and with all rever- 
ence, renewed their Alleluias, and sang joy- 
fully to the Lord. They all sing, they all 
rejoice and exult with the utmost jubilation, 
and with shouts of mirth they praise and 
glorify the Lord, so that the whole heavenly 
Jerusalem echoes with joyful Alleluias, and 
canticles of mirth were heard throughout 
every part. Never, from the beginning of 



128 Manual of Meditations. 

time, was there known so solemn a festivity, 
nor shall ever be again, till after the last 
and general day of judgment, when all the 
elect shall meet together in their beautiful 
and glorious bodies. 

III. POINT. 

And therefore, this solemn feast of the 
ascension, if every circumstance be duly 
considered, is the greatest of all solemnities, 
which we shall find to be true, if we briefly 
consider the rest. The incarnation of Grod 
is a great feast, a day of solemn jubilation 
to us, but not to Him, since He was then 
confined within the narrow compass of the 
small enclosure of a virginal womb. 

His nativity was likewise a great feast, 
and a day of public rejoicing to us. But 
He was to be pitied, who was born to such 
great poverty, suffering and penury. His 
death and suffering was a great feast to us, 
because our sins were then all blotted out : 
but as He suffered most cruel torments and 
a most vile death, it was not to Him, nor 
ought it be to us a subject of joy. The 
resurrection of our Lord Jesus was a most 
solemn festivity both to Him and to us, 
because He appeared as a triumphant con- 
queror over sin and death, and we remained 
justified; it was, in the opinion of St. 



Feast of Pentecost. 129 

Augustine, a more holy feast than the rest, 
which may be understood of those which 
preceded it. For the day of the ascension 
seems still to be more holy and greater than 
that ; for our Lord rose then from the dead ; 
yet He still remained on earth, the gates of 
Heaven were not yet open, nor were the 
holy souls then presented to His Father, 
which was fulfilled on the day of His ascen- 
sion. And if we consider whatever Glod 
wrought before this, He wrought to this end, 
without which His work would have been 
imperfect. For Heaven and earth, with all 
things in them, were made for man ; and man 
was made only for Glod, and to enjoy Him 
in His glory; to which glory, no one, though 
ever so just, could ever attain after sin till 
this day. Whence you may in some meas- 
ure comprehend, how great and wonderful 
is this day which may properly be called 
the solemn and joyful festivity of our Lord 
Jesus. For on this day was He first seated 
in glory, in the humanity He had assumed, 
at the right hand of His Father, and enjoyed 
a perfect ^est from His labors. This day is 
also a feast of great joy and glory to the 
blessed spirits of Heaven, for on this day 
they received a new satisfaction, in the 
sight of their Lord, whom before they had 
not seen under the veil of His sacred hu- 



130 Manual of Meditations . 

manity. And on this day was began to be 
repaired the ruins of their heavenly com- 
pany occasioned by the fall of their repro- 
bate brethren, some of whose vacancies 
were filled by a glorious number of blessed 
souls, of patriarchs, prophets and others, 
who on this day triumphantly entered the 
heavenly Jerusalem, and took possession of 
it as their own right and inheritance. 
Wherefore, as we solemnly celebrate the 
feast of one saint or martyr who departed 
this life, and entered the glory of Heaven, 
how much more ought we to do the same for 
so many thousands, who entered together, 
in company with the Holy of Holies, who is 
far more worthy all praise, honor and glory, 
than all the saints and angels together. 
This day is likewise a feast of special joy to 
the Blessed Virgin, in as much as she beheld 
her blessed son Jesus, perfect God and per- 
fect man, crowned with glory and triumph, 
ascend victoriously to Heaven. It is also a 
feast of joy to us, for on this day was our 
nature first exalted above the highest heav- 
ens; and had He not ascended, we could 
not have received the greatest of all gifts, 
the Holy Grhost, whom He had promised to 
send us ; wherefore, He said to His disciples, 
"It is expedient for you that I go, for if I 
go not, the Paraclete shall not come to 



Feast of Pentecost 131 

you." St. Bernard saith, in His sermon on 
this day, "The glorious feast of the ascen- 
sion is the end and accomplishment of all 
other feasts and solemnities, and a blessed 
conclusion of the weary pilgrimage of 
Jesus Christ on earth. " 

Hence then, may you gather, religious 
soul, that this feast is greater and more 
solemn than all the others, and that soul 
which truly and earnestly loves our Lord 
Jesus, should on this day lift his mind more 
earnestly to Heaven, and endeavor to receive 
a greater plenitude of spiritual joy and com- 
fort than on all other festivals of the year. 
For our Lord said to His disciples, "Truly 
if you loved me, you would rejoice and be 
glad because I go to the Father." Whence 
it appears from His own words, that there 
is no day in Heaven more joyful than this 
which lasted till the following day of Pen- 
tecost, and we may devoutly imagine it to 
have been kept, and solemnized in the fol- 
lowing manner : — The ascension of our 
Lord and Saviour was about the sixth hour. 
And although the whole court of Heaven 
made a general rejoicing in a manner be- 
yond all expression, yet from the hour of 
his ascension to the sixth hour of the next 
day; we may piously imagine that the 
angels more particularly celebrated this joy- 



132 Manual of Meditations. 

ful festival. And, in the same manner, on 
the second, the archangels; on the third 
day the virtues; on the fourth day, the 
powers ; on the fifth, the principalities ; on 
the sixth, the dominations ; on the seventh, 
the thrones; on the eighth, the eherubims; 
on the ninth, the seraphims ; which are the 
nine orders of holy angels, who continued 
their joyful solemnity till the vigil of Pen- 
tecost: from which time, to the third hour 
of the day following, which is Whitsuntide, 
the holy souls, with the rest of their bless- 
ed company, made the same solemn re- 
joicings. Thus, during the space of ten 
days, before the descent of the Holy Grhost 
upon earth, they all continued in an unin- 
terrupted acclamation of praise, glory and 
thanksgiving to God, to Whom be continued 
the same by every creature to the end of 
the world and forever. 

Colloquy with our Lord. Congratulate 
Him on the great glory of His ascension 
into Heaven. 



Feast of Pentecost. 133 

flDefcttation 

fox tbe ffri&as witbin tbe ©ctave ot 
tbe Bscenston* 



The Wonders which the Holy Ghost accomplished 
in the Apostles. 



First Prelude : Represent to yourself the 
Blessed Virgin with the Apostles and Dis- 
ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 

Second Prelude : Ask for an increase of 
humility, fervor and devotion that may 
attract the Holy Spirit into our souls. 

I. POINT. 

How great, how precious is the soul of 
man in the eyes of its Creator ! how dear is 
it to the three adorable persons of the 
Blessed Trinity ! The Father and the Holy 
Grhost have so loved the world, as to bestow 
on it the Eternal Word in the mystery of 
the Incarnation, and they have so loved us 
individually, as to give this same Word 
made flesh for our daily food. The Eternal 
Father and the Word have so loved the 
world, as to bestow on man that Divine 
Spirit, who is the personal love of the 



134 Manual of Meditations. 

Father and the Son. And although this 
second gift, considered in itself, does not, 
and cannot exceed the first, nevertheless, 
Jesus Christ assures us, that, viewed in all 
its circumstances, it is even a more precious 
donation. The Incarnation was a blessing 
bestowed on all men in general, without a 
single exception; but the real presence of 
the Holy Grhost in our hearts, the happy 
fruit of our Redeemer's ascension, is a priv- 
ilege reserved to Christians only, or rather 
to the just, under the law of grace. 

Oh ! how are we elevated by the principle 
of our adoption! it is He who makes us 
children of Grod, brethren of Jesus Christ, 
animated and living temples of the ever 
adorable Trinity. By Him we are spiritual- 
ized, even, in some sort deified; yes, by Him 
we are born to Grod Himself, gloriously 
created in Jesus Christ. In fine, what 
treasures has not Jesus bestowed in giving 
us His Holy Spirit, that Spirit of life, who 
in us becomes the fruitful source of every 
light and grace? He enlightens the dullest 
minds, instructs in all truth the least tract- 
able hearts, rendering them docile and 
faithful to the inspirations of His grace, 
and as "He breatheth where He wills, " no 
description of character is an insuperable 
obstacle to His divine operation. What an 



Feast of Pentecost. 135 

astonishing difference between the Apostles 
reared in the school of Jesus Christ Himself, 
and these same Apostles regenerated by the 
Holy Grhost? Changed by the spirit of love 
into new men ! Jerusalem knew them not ; 
the universe seemed too confined a theatre 
for their labors, and all hearts too small a 
conquest for their zeal. Happy he whom 
this Divine Spirit instructs, and thrice hap- 
py the soul implicitly docile to His amiable 
voice! Faith is, according to the Apostles, 
"the evidence of things not seen/ 7 but the 
Holy Grhost, by the gift of knowledge, dis- 
plays to us, in some sort, that which we 
believe. By wisdom, we are taught to relish 
the sweetness concealed in the heavenly 
maxims of Jesus Christ. Fortitude, renders 
that which once was bitter and apparently 
impossible, supportable, easy and delightful. 
These are the miracles, the wonders of the 
Love of the Holy Spirit; these are the 
admirable changes that are continually 
effected in those souls which are docile to 
His inspirations and entirely abandoned to 
His guidance. 

II. POINT. 

The Holy Spirit, that He may abide in us, 
and we in Him, desires to contract with our 
souls a spiritual, celestial, and divine alii- 



136 Manual of Meditations. 

ance. "I will," says He, by the mouth of 
the prophet, "espouse thee in mercy and 
commiserations. ' ' But this admirable union 
can never be found without free co-opera- 
tion on our part, and an ardent desire of 
participating in the gifts of Heaven. 
" Wherefore, I wished, and understanding 
was given me : and I called upon God, and 
the spirit of wisdom came upon me." "I 
opened my mouth and panted, because I 
longed for thy Commandments." Our 
Divine Lord Himself assures us that the 
Eternal Father grants the good spirit, the 
author of every blessing, to the desire of 
those who ask. Let us, then, ardently and 
perseveringly invite the Holy Spirit to take 
up His residence in the centre of our souls. 
If these desires be sincere, they certainly 
proceed from the Holy Spirit ; it is by Him 
they are formed ; it is He who prays in and 
by us. Can there be more solid ground to 
hope for the accomplishment of our desires? 
for God, inspiring them, had no other view 
than their gratification. To prayer must be 
joined great purity of heart. "Blessed are 
the clean of heart, for they shall see God," 
and their love for purity of conscience is a 
sure proof of the watchful tenderness of 
that Almighty Being who has solemnly 
promised that "he that loveth cleanness of 
heart shall have the king for his friend." 



Feast of Pentecost. 137 

To become the dwelling of this infinitely 
pure and sacred Spirit, our souls must be 
cleansed from everything displeasing to so 
great, so amiable a guest. Remember, 
Christian soul, that it is, perhaps, easier 
than you imagine to wound the delicacy of 
this Divine Spirit. To be convinced of this, 
we need only remember that, according to 
the Fathers, the descent of the Holy Ghost 
was obstructed by too natural an attachment 
to the sensible presence of Jesus Christ. If 
this attachment, so laudable, so justly mer- 
ited, proved an obstacle to the operation of 
the Holy Spirit, what must we think of our 
attachment to creatures, and of our daily 
infidelities? How diligently should we labor 
to break those ties, to efface those trans- 
gressions! — but, above all, with what care 
should we banish, destroy and annihilate in 
our souls, the hateful monster of pride; for 
the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of lies 
cannot dwell together! 

Of this vice, St. Francis de Sales says: 
"I would rather that the cloister were filled 
with all vices than with the sin of pride and 
vanity*, because in other offences one can 
repent and obtain pardon, but the proud 
soul has in itself the principle of all vices, 
and never does penance, considering itself 
to be in a good state, and despising all 



138 Manual of Meditations. 

advice given it. Nothing can be done with 
a soul that is vain and full of self-conceit ; 
it is no good either to itself or others." 
Pride being the principle of evil, is also the 
chief obstacle to the working of the Holy 
Spirit. However, though we may resolve 
to root out, and to plant, to destroy and to 
build ; yet we must remember that it belongs 
to God alone to prepare His tabernacle, and 
to change a carnal heart into a sanctuary 
worthy of Himself. 

III. POINT. 

But to vanquish the many obstacles that 
impede our spiritual progress, and to arrive 
at length to the desirable term of christian 
perfection, the most heroic and invincible 
courage is absolutely necessary. The Holy 
Spirit cannot sovereignly reign in the heart, 
but by the destruction of is natural inclina- 
tions ; nor can these be otherwise destroyed 
than by crucifixion. More penetrating than 
a two-edged sword, He pierces the very 
soul, and disengages her from a body which 
He teaches her to despise and detest. In 
fine, He will gradually divide and separate 
her from her very self, for this jealous Spirit 
will not permit that she, whom He destines 
for His spouse, should find either pleasure 
or support in creatures. Suspended between 



Feast of Pentecost. 139 

heaven and earth, He keeps her, in some 
degree, deprived of the consolations of both. 
In a thousand ways, and by numberless 
painful trials, she is, for her greater perfec- 
tion and detachment from self, afflicted, 
tormented, and interiorly crucified. But 
powerfully supported by the Holy Ghost, 
this soul attains, by a continual and univer- 
sal death, to that God whom she sought, 
whom she desires, whom she loved above all 
things, and who alone is her true life. The 
privation of all comfort is to her the sweet- 
est consolation, and in the loss of all things, 
she finds an inestimable treasure, and thus 
exemplifies the truth of that emphatic 
sentence of the Imitation: " Forsake all, 
and thou shalt find all; leave thy desires, 
and thou shalt find rest." 

Miraculous prodigy of love ! thou art in- 
conceivable to all those to whom experience 
has not happily discovered they hidden 
charms. Ah! Christian, Religious! were 
it necessary to suffer from fire and sword, 
for the preservation of this miserable life, 
you would be disposed to do so, you would 
endure all, nothing would discourage you; 
and yet you are terrified and stop short at 
the difficult enterprise of living the celestial, 
immortal life of God Himself, of being 
transformed into His image, and of becom- 
ing one with Him. 



140 Manual of Meditations. 

Divine Spirit, source of every grace! may 
the ardent desire Thou hast enkindled in 
the hearts of Thy chosen ones of possessing 
Thee, be proof against all trials, may it 
never be stifled nor weakened by the seem- 
ingly arduous exercise of fervent and con- 
tinual prayer, and generous and universal 
mortification. May they never shrink from 
interior martyrdom, which is the sole 
means of acquiring that purity of heart, 
which prepares the soul for Thy divine 
communications . 

Colloquy with our Blessed Mother. 



fiDefcitation 

tfot Satttrfcas witbxn tbc ©ctave ot 
tbe Bscension. 



The Effects which the Holy Ghost produced in 
the Apostles. 



First Prelude : Represent to yourself the 
Blessed Virgin with the Apostles and Dis- 
ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 

Second Prelude : Ask for great purity of 
heart and ardent zeal in the sendee of your 
heavenlv Master. 



Feast of Pentecost. 141 

I. POINT. 

The Holy Spirit gives Himself to them. 
This Spirit is the source and principle of all 
graces, virtues and supernatural goods. The 
essential and personal Love of the Father 
and of the Son gives Himself to them. He 
unites them to Himself in a particular man- 
ner, — He ennobles them, — He makes them 
children of God. What glory, what happi- 
ness for them ! Let us ardently desire the 
same advantages, for He will also give Him- 
self to us. Say frequently with a lively 
faith and an ardent desire: "Veni, Sancte 
Spiritus ! " Let us offer Him our hearts, and 
render them worthy of Himself. They who 
receive this Divine Spirit are the Apostles 
and Disciples, ignorant, weak, despicable in 
the eyes of the world, but not contemned by 
the Almighty. They are humble, fervent, 
devout: these are the qualities which are 
estimable in the sight of Heaven, and 
which are far preferable to the brilliant, 
superficial accomplishments that attract the 
attention and admiration of worldlings: 
"My Spirit resteth on the poor and hum- 
ble. 77 The Holy Spirit daily communicates 
Himself to those who are disposed to receive 
Him, viz: to those who are fervent, humble 
and devout. Let us use our utmost endeav- 
ors to acquire these requisite dispositions. 



142 Manual of Meditations. 

They are replenished with the Holy Spirit. 
They had previously received Him because 
they were just ; but on this occasion they 
were replenished with Him. Their minds 
were illuminated with the most admirable 
lights, — their hearts filled with the most 
ardent love, replete with an abundance of 
supernatural gifts and graces, united more 
closely to their Grod, and replenished with a 
vehement desire to please Him. Let us 
consider our poverty and the need we have 
of these heavenly treasures. Let us entreat 
them of the Holy Spirit, saying: "Come, 
Father of the poor, come, Thou Griver of 
all good gifts. " 

II. POINT. 

The descent of the Holy Grhost on the 
Apostles was a baptism of fire: "You will 
be baptized by the Holy Grhost. " He puri- 
fied them from their sins, and remitted the 
punishment which was their due. He de- 
livered them from the tyranny of the devil, 
from concupiscence and from vicious inch- 
nations; He replenished them with grace; 
gave them infused virtues ; changed them 
into new men who breathed only the love of 
Grod. After having considered the pitiable 
state in which we are, and the extreme need 
we have of a similar change, let us entreat 



Feast of Pentecost. 143 

our Divine Lord to operate in us by means 
of His Holy Spirit the same admirable fruits 
which he effected in the Apostles. The 
Apostles were filled with zeal for the inter- 
est of their heavenly Master. They preach 
His sublime doctrine, fearless of persecution, 
of torments, and of death; they dispersed 
themselves throughout the whole world in 
order to make Him known, loved and 
served. Let us be confounded within our- 
selves at the consideration of our want of 
zeal and fervor in the service of God. Let 
us entreat the Apostles to obtain for us a 
portion of that zeal with which they were 
animated. They spoke with divers tongues 
under the direction of the Holy Spirit. 
Admire this gift of tongues, so necessary to 
the Apostles, who were commissioned to 
preach to all nations, and know that it is 
the Holy Spirit, and not vanity, envy or 
interest that induces them to speak. They 
speak of God, of His inconceivable gran- 
deur, — His munificent rewards. They speak 
with hearts inflamed with love, zeal and 
benediction. Let us entreat the Holy Spirit 
to regulate our mind, heart and tongue 
according to the same principles. 

III. POINT. 

They made reparation for their past infi- 
delity, when, filled with ardent zeal and 



144 Manual of Meditations. 

burning love, they publicly preached the 
divinity of Him whom they had abandoned 
through cowardice, and denied through 
weakness. They were ready to suffer every 
affliction for the love of Him, they suffered 
joyfully; — they died for Him; — thus they 
made ample reparation for their past faults. 
Let us also make reparation for our mani- 
fold transgressions by loving this amiable 
Saviour, laboring and suffering for Him in 
proportion to our past unfaithfulness in His 
service. They repaired the honor of our 
adorable Saviour by preaching the great- 
ness, the glory of Him who had come hither 
to be crucified, by causing Him to be adored 
in the places where He had previously been 
covered with ignominy, and by procuring 
Him as many, true, devoted followers, as 
He before had blasphemers. Let us rejoice 
with the new Church on the happiness of 
their conversion — with the Apostles on the 
success of their labors, and with Jesus on 
the glory which the Holy Spirit has procured 
Him. They repaired the honor of our 
Divine Lord in all nations. It was at the 
time of the Paschal feast that our loving 
Saviour had willed to be crucified ; a time 
when strangers from all parts of the known 
world assembled in Jerusalem to be present 
at the Paschal solemnities, and who, on 



Feast of Pentecost, 145 

their return to their respective countries, 
spread the news of His infamous death. 
At the feast of Pentecost, people were like- 
wise gathered from all parts of the world, 
to whom the Apostles made known the res- 
surrection, the glorious life, the divinity of 
Jesus Christ, — and who, on their return 
would publish the wonders they had learned. 
Their recital was confirmed by the Apostles 
who soon followed them, in order to make 
their beloved Master everywhere known and 
adored. Let us be likewise animated with 
an ardent zeal that will courageously over- 
come all obstacles and difficulties in order 
to make this amiable Saviour known, loved, 
adored and served. 

Colloquy with the holy Apostles. 



ADeMtation 

3for tbe Suntms witbin tbe ©ctave of 
tbe Bscension* 



The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Ghost. 



First Prelude: Represent to yourself the 
Blessed Virgin with the Apostles and Dis- 
ciples in the Cenacle. 



146 Manual of Meditations. 

Second Prelude : Let us entreat the Holy 
Spirit to remove from our hearts every ob- 
stacle that would prevent us from receiving 
Him with the fulness of His gifts. 

I. POINT. 

The gifts and fruits of the Holy Grhost 
seem to embrace all our spiritual wants. All 
our intellectual capacities find their expan- 
sion in the gifts, while the fruits exhibit 
the action of the Holy Spirit on the heart. 
And this is exactly what St. Francis de Sales 
says, ia one of his sermons of the twofold 
work of the Holy Grhost. He illuminates 
the understanding to know the truth, and 
He warms the heart to love the law of Grod. 
The Saint finds a mysterious allusion to 
this, even in the number of one hundred 
and twenty, which was the number of the 
believers who were gathered together in the 
Cenacle on the day of Pentecost — a number 
which is made up of twelve multiplied by 
ten: the twelve articles of faith, enriched 
by the observance of the ten Command- 
ments of G-od. 

When we ponder these holy words in our 
hearts, we instinctively feel that neither of 
the lists of gifts and fruits is perfect without 
the other. Wisdom, Understanding, Coun- 
sel and Knowledge would not satisfy us, 



Feast of Pentecost. 147 

unless accompanied by Charity, Joy, Peace, 
Patience, Benignity and Goodness. We do 
need light to guide and show us the way, 
and much more do we need fire to warm 
our hearts. 

By what tokens can we know that the 
Holy Spirit has indeed visited, renewed and 
signed us? It is to the fruits we must chiefly 
look, "for by their fruits you shall know 
them." 

And what virtues could be more suitable 
for us religious, than the fruits of the Holy 
Grhost? What a beautiful picture would a 
community present that possessed them in 
greatest perfection? To say nothing of 
charity, which all must feel to be the one 
essential condition of community life ; but 
how would joy and peace make sunshine in 
it! How many thorns would patience take 
out of our path! How pleasant and easy 
would long suffering, and goodness, and 
benignity make our intercourse with one 
another; and how would the good odor, 
the grace and the beauty of virtue, shine in 
meekness, modesty, and the rest! 

Let us not despair of realizing in the sight 
of G-od and His holy Angels, this beautiful 
idea ; for our Lord intended religious houses 
— the homes of His chosen spouses — to be 
sheltered from the cold, cutting winds of 



148 Manual of Meditations. 

worldly temptations; wherein , as in a gar- 
den enclosed, these lovely flowers might 
blossom and flourish. 

Here, in these blessed abodes, the Holy 
Spirit should have His full action and reign 
supreme over our hearts, to mould them as 
He wills. And, He will most certainly 
establish His reign within us, if we do but 
clear away all rubbish with a determined 
will and a generous hand. 

Quoting from the Canticle of canticles, 
St. Francis de Sales says: " Arise and de- 
part, O north wind, and come south wind ; 
blow through my garden, and let the aro- 
matical spices thereof flow: Let the power 
and the virtues of Christ dwell in me." 

"May the Divine Spouse not be disap- 
pointed then, when He comes into His gar- 
den to eat the fruit of His apple trees ; but 
may He find the aromatical spices of these 
beautiful virtues, giving forth, far and 
wide, the good odor of Christ." 

II. POINT. 

The Holy Spirit ought to rule supreme in 
our souls, and we must yield ourselves to 
His supreme dominion, and be as St. Paul 
says, "led by the Spirit" if we hope to 
bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. It is to 
this interior life that our venerable Father 



Feast of Pentecost. 149 

Medaille urges us so strongly in the Consti- 
tutions. 

As religious, our work is only half done, 
if the interior spirit be wanting. Exterior 
exercises will profit us little or nothing, if 
the interior is left barren or neglected. 

Though religious are sheltered in "the 
garden enclosed/' yet we are placed in a 
world of sin and sorrow, towards whom we 
have special duties to perform. 

What should we do, but endeavor to dif- 
fuse around us the sweet odor of Jesus 
Christ, scattering seeds, as we go along 
which may bring forth a plentiful harvest, 
in time to come? Most certainly, the fruit 
of our labors will be in proportion to the 
grace within us. Let us take one of the 
beautiful fruits of the Holy Grhost, Peace, 
and dwell on it, pondering it well in our 
hearts. Peace of soul, though allied, is 
something different from joy, less raptur- 
ous, but more calm. A person can feel 
peace, even in the midst of suffering; and 
of all spiritual secrets, the secret of pre- 
serving, or regaining interior peace, is one 
of the most precious. 

Peace is the fruit of justice ; it flows from 
a conscience at rest. It also is the outcome 
of an entire repose in the will of God. 
"Great peace have they, who love Thy law, 



150 Manual of Meditations. 

and to them there is no stumbling-block ; " 
thirdly, it comes of detachment which de- 
livers us from the unquietness of desires so 
harassing to us; fourthly, from humility: 
for of all the profound experiences of inter- 
ior peace, none equals that which flows into 
the soul, when it has generously bowed its 
head and heart to a humiliation ; and lastly, 
it is the almost infallible consequence of 
prayer; not of a passing, hasty, occasional 
prayer, but of prayer long persevered in, 
and earnestly, heartily made. Let us keep 
on praying, dispite disgusts and discourage- 
ments, opening our hearts to God, and the 
floodgates of peace will open upon us. 

May this beautiful, precious fruit of peace 
be rich and abundant in our souls! How 
calm, how tranquil, how just, how free 
from the raging storms of human passions 
will our souls then be ! 

"Peace," says the Angelic Doctor, "is 
the tranquillity of order," and they are 
words, well deserving our remembrance 
and serious meditation. 

Let us fervently implore our Immaculate 
Mother to obtain for us a copious outpour- 
ing of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that may 
produce in our hearts, this precious fruit 
of Peace which the world cannot give. 



Feast of Pentecost. 151 

III. POINT. 

The religious state is often called by the 
saints the very garden of the Church, where 
all the choicest influences are stored up for 
our use — the fertilizing sun, the early and 
latter rain, the waters of refreshment. We, 
as religious, must not then be barren fig 
trees, whereon, when our Lord comes seek- 
ing fruit, He finds, leaves only. May the 
Holy Spirit Himself — the spirit of truth and 
holiness — come into this garden, and plant 
and produce therein most delicious fruits, 
and so make of the convents we inhabit, 
"gardens enclosed, and fountains sealed 
up" — a true paradise for the Beloved of our 
hearts, wherein He may find His delight to 
dwell, and enjoy the fruits thereof. 

The world knows nothing of the sweet- 
ness that is stored up in that garden : To 
its sense it is truly "a fountain sealed up;" 
but we, who have received the gift of voca- 
tion, know truly, and remember well the 
fragrance which first attracted our hearts, 
and the delight, passing all worldly joys 
which we have found therein. 

With what fervent gratitude ought we 
not then thank the Lord of the garden, for 
calling us into His earthly paradise, and 
permitting us, even in this life to taste 



152 Manual of Meditations. 

something of that joy and peace which the 
world cannot take away from us. 

Let us reflect that the Lord of this garden 
is our only end. This centre of all good- 
ness, all sweetness, all beauty, and all joy 
is the end, to reach which, and to be united 
to which forever more, is the one reason of 
our creation. Just as we build a house to 
live in it, or a ship that it may carry us to a 
port — having no other sense and meaning, 
except for that purpose — so there is no 
sense or meaning in our existence, unless 
we follow after and attain this one end. To 
reach and attain this end, no sacrifice is too 
great, no Buffering worthy to be named, 
nothing to be put in comparison with it for 
a moment ; it is when we are conscious of 
this, and more than this, which words could 
only poorly express, that we are relishing 
something of the taste and savor of the 
Grift of AVisdom. 

"Delight in the Lord, and He will give 
thee the requests of thy heart 4 ' says the 
Royal Psalmist. If turning our eyes away 
from the littleness of created things to fix 
those of our heart on God, we come to 
know and understand more of His beauty, 
the riches of His goodness. His wonderful 
life here on earth. He is the Alpha and the 
Omega of all things, the beginning and the 



Feast of Pentecost. 153 

end. May He, by His Divine Spirit unveil 
this truth unto us more and more, and thus 
dispose us to fix our hearts where alone, 
true joys are to be found; so that all of us 
who are united in making this blessed 
No vena, may find in Him our present ex- 
ceeding joy, and our future, eternal reward. 
Colloquy with our Lady, the Apostles and 
Disciples, assembled in the Cenacle. 



flDefcitation 

3For /iDon&as witbfn tbe ©ctave ot tbe 
Bscension* 



<Come, Holy Ghost, and send from Heaven a ray 
of Thy light!" 



First Prelude : Represent to yourself the 
Blessed Virgin, with the Apostles and Dis- 
ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 

Second Prelude : Ask for the fulness of 
the light of the Holy Spirit. 



I. POINT. 



You who ask Him to come, do you ask it 
in sincerity? If He were to come, would 
you repent that you had called Him? If He 



154 Manual of Meditations . 

came to reproach you with the little which 
you have done for Him, if He came to urge 
you to do more, if He came to propose to 
you some heroic act of perfection, would 
you rejoice, or would you grieve? Alas! I 
fear that you would dread the coming which 
you had prayed for. 

"I feared, lest I should be too quickly 
heard, " says St. Austin, in his miserable 
hesitation whether or not to give himself to 
Grod, fearing that Grod would hear him, if 
he prayed. He wished the Spirit to come, 
but not so soon, not so suddenly. And 
you, too, religious soul, you wish Him to 
come, but at your leisure, at your taste, at 
your caprice. Oh! vain desire. Oh! lame 
will, oh! weak, slothful velleity, thou wili- 
est, and wiliest not. He will not come — 
no, He will not come. He knows that it 
is a formal invitation and empty speech. 
Away with these feigned and irresolute de- 
sires! Say once for all, with all thy heart: 
come now, come to-day, come wholly, and 
not hereafter, not tomorrow, not in part. 
If you say "Come" to the Holy Spirit, jou 
must say "Go" to the senses. The light 
must be divided from the darkness. The 
Holy Spirit and the spirit of evil cannot 
dwell together. You say the Holy Spirit, 
because He is a pure spirit, He is perfectly 



Feast of Pentecost. 155 

holy. You say well. But why so much 
dust and pollution in your spirit? He is ab- 
solute simplicity. If He is to be united with 
your spirit He must find therein neither 
mixture nor impediment. Prepare yourself 
for the crucible which is to make you all 
gold, all spirit. Repeat the exorcism of the 
priest, which you understood not when you 
were baptized : "Let the unclean spirit de- 
part from thee, and give place to the Holy 
Spirit. 7 ' 

II. POINT. 

Beseech Him to shed upon you from on 
high a ray of His light, of that light which 
illumines every man who cometh into the 
world. Oh! may He give you more and 
more. The Holy Spirit keeps His eyes con- 
tinually fixed upon you, beholding you, now 
with the eye of a father, now of a judge, 
with an eye of approbation or displeasure. 
If you see Him not, it is because you will 
not see Him, because you hate light, and fix 
your eyes upon the earth. It is from no 
deficiency of light in Grod, but from defect 
of sight in you. You seek to hide yourself, 
even, from yourself, and to conceal yourself 
even from God. But the veil of malice is 
transparent, and it is too plain that you 
have the light, of faith and of reason ; there- 



156 Manual of Meditations. 

fore, your wilful blindness cannot excuse 
you. Oh! may one living ray of GkxTs 
light shine even here, and light up that 
abyss of living death. That He may send 
it from on high, an arrow from the bow, 
that it may pierce directly to your heart, 
and inflict upon it a salutary wound. Mark 
this, that if the Divine ray comes like an 
arrow, its coming is most sudden, most 
rapid, and almost imperceptible. Watch, 
then, well over yourself; look out for the 
visitation from Heaven ; seize the first touch, 
the first glimpse. If you delay it may be 
that you will not even perceive the flash. 
A wise soul keeps a continual guard over 
itself, and sees more, says Ecclesiasticus 
than seven sentinels standing on their 
watch. 

III. POINT. 

You ask for a ray, a ray of that beuefici- 
ent, efficacious, and gracious illumination 
on which your salvation and perfection de- 
pend. That which will never forsake you, 
neither in the morning of prosperity, nor in 
the evening of adversity, nor in the night of 
death. That which, in peril, in perplexity 
and in temptation will enlighten, direct, 
comfort, and bring you to a happy end. 
One of those merciful and omnipotent 



Feast of Pentecost. 157 

glances which He gave to Peter, moving 
Him to tears, which He gave to Magdalen, 
moving her to love much. A ray of divine 
light, of eternal truth, of evangelical pru- 
dence, not of human wisdom or policy, nor 
of dangerous, erroneous, and diabolical 
duplicity. By its pure and clear light take 
counsel first with Grod, direct yourself by 
the will of Grod. Its pious teaching is most 
profitable, even in temporal matters, and 
will suffice to lead you safely throughout 
the whole course of your life. The many 
opinions and questionings of this world 
diminish and come to naught: " truths are 
diminished from the children of men, they 
are diminished because they either fall short 
of the end, or they are false and contradict 
themselves. But the science of the saints, 
which alone is true, stands alone, and has 
for its foundation and teacher, the infallible 
and immutable truth, even God Himself. 
Therefore, a simple and unlearned man, or 
a poor old woman knows more of prayer 
than all the philosophers of the world. O 
glorious light of the face of Grod, light of 
truth, light of understanding, light of coun- 
sel, light of discernment, light of all wisdom. 
Oh! come, come! Follow me in these 
syllables of the sacred hymn, and they will 
cast a thousand rays of heavenly fire upon 



158 Manual of Meditations. 

your eyes, your mind and your heart. 
Divine Spirit, let Thy penetrating rays 
enlighten my understanding, and Thy con- 
suming fire inflame my heart, that I may 
know and love the "breadth, and length, 
and height, and depth of the infinite love, 
by which I am loved. " Come, Creating 
Spirit, Divine and Heavenly Fire! Come 
and enkindle in our hearts the flames of 
Thy love ! 



flDefcitation 

IFor Uues&as witbin tbe ©ctave of tbe 
ascension. 



"Come, Father of the poor, come, Giver of gifts, 
come Light of hearts.' ' 



First Prelude : Represent to yourself the 
Blessed Virgin with the Apostles and Disci- 
ples assembled in the Cenacle. 

Second Prelude: Ask for the virtues of 
holy poverty and a perfect detachment 
from creatures. 

I. POINT. 

Say it a thousand times and more, but 
always with those fervent desires and unut- 



Feast of Pentecost. 159 

terable groanings with which the Holy 
Spirit loves to intercede and prevail for us. 
Assuredly there is urgent need. Father of 
the poor ! But for the Holy Spirit assisting 
and providing for you, what would you be? 
Nothing, absolutely nothing. In Him alone 
you live, and act, and are. "No man," 
says St. Paul, "can say that Jesus is the 
Lord, but by the Holy Ghost ; " and, "No 
one," says the Council of Trent, "can make 
an act of either charity or contrition, so as 
to obtain the grace of justification, without 
the assistance of the Holy Ghost," "With- 
out Me," says Jesus, speaking in His own 
name, and in that of the Holy Ghost, 
"you can do nothing," — nothing that is 
meritorious, nothing good and worthy of 
eternal life, without the special aid of the 
Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ. You 
see, then, in what exceeding need you 
stand of the helps of the Holy Spirit. In 
all things, you depend absolutely upon His 
will and power. Can there be a state of 
more entire destitution ? Yet, I would not 
have you ashamed of your poverty. You 
are poor, indeed, but you are the child of a 
most noble and wealthy Father. He is the 
common Father of all men, but especially 
of the just, by His especial care of them, 
and the especial reverence they bear Him — 



160 Manual of Meditations. 

Father of the poor! beloved poverty! 
which shows forth my Father's royal 
bounty, how could I be better provided for 
than by Her? Our wealth is, that we can 
ask and receive. Our misery would be to 
be left to our own absolute guidance : woe 
to the prodigal who asks for the portion of 
goods that falls to Him. Far better is it to 
submit yourself, and to use your liberty 
only, to do the will of your Father, do 
then, like a beggar to His feet, and say to 
Him: "I am a beggar and poor;" and 
forthwith He will provide you with all 
things. 

II. POINT. 

Observe that He is first called Father of 
the poor, and then Griver of gifts. He is 
not a giver unless He is a father. The 
Holy Spirit is the Father of the poor, that 
is, of the poor in spirit, the humble of 
heart, and to the humble of heart alone 
He communicates Himself, and imparts 
His gifts. "He gives grace to the humble. 
He is deaf to the proud. He hardens 
His Heart against them. He keeps His 
hand closed: not a crumb even from His 
table for them ; rather will He give to the 
dogs of Canaan than to the Pharisees." He 
resisted the proud, and the more, when 
they are more miserable and presumptious, 



Feast of Pentecost. 161 

in proportion to their misery. Gracious 
and merciful as He is, He cannot endure 
proud poverty. He will not look upon one 
who is poor and proud, but drives Him far 
out of His sight. Know yourself, there- 
fore, for what you are; never fancy your- 
self rich. God gives alms to Him that asks. 
He breaks His bread to the hungry. Be 
not ashamed, then, to stretch out your 
hand. Oh! how many perish, because 
they would pass for rich and well fed ! Tell 
to Him, then, all your miseries, one by one: 
be not like the poor who are ashamed of 
their poverty. To acknowledge your pover- 
ty is the speedy way to attain unbounded 
wealth. Giver of gifts! The Holy Spirit 
gives all His gifts gratis. The gift of God 
is not to be bought as Simon Magus pre- 
sumed to think. It is inestimable, it is 
most lavish. It is given to whosoever 
wills, and that act of willing costs so little, 
that the very purchase money is a gift, and 
the purchase a reward: "Come, buy with- 
out money. " Oh! what a Giver, He gives 
nothing by contract, or for a return: all, all 
for pure love. Where is your liberality 
towards God ? You will give Him nothing 
which is not of precept and obligation. 
Does this seem to you a fitting and noble 
return ? Oh ! render Him at least what in 



162 Manual of Meditations. 

justice you owe Him. Were you liberal 
towards the Holy Spirit, in the same meas- 
ure and far beyond, would He be liberal 
towards you. 

III. POINT. 

He is light, but the light of the heart. 
He burns no less intensely than He shines. 
What will the light of a clear intellect 
avail, if you want the fire of a good will ? 
You grieve, perhaps, that you understand 
so little of Grod, when you should rather 
grieve that you love Him so little. Tell 
me, do your actions correspond with your 
knowledge ? You know that He deserves 
to be loved, and that you are bound to love 
and honor Him above all things. Do you 
thus love and honor Him ? When you have 
made a good use of one light, He will give 
you a second; to a second, He will add a 
third, and so on. But if you will not make 
use of the first, if your malice or your sloth 
oppose an obstacle in its way, to what pur- 
pose should He give you the trouble and 
responsibility of another ? Light of hearts ! 
Oh ! how manv blind there are who see and 

m 

see not! Rebels against light, they sin and 
see not. A blindness which is culpable, 
because chosen by man, and penal, because 
permitted by God. Again, observe that 
the Holy Spirit is a light which makes the 



Feast of Pentecost. 163 

blind doubly blind. It is not that they are 
wholly unable to see, but they blind them- 
selves. Oh! were they totally blind their 
misery would be less. Pity them and weep 
over them. Light of hearts! Do you desire 
that His light should increase within you ? 
Let your heart reflect it upon your mind. 
The Holy Spirit, who is the love breathed 
forth by the Father and the Son, proceeds 
by the way of the will. Thus His light is 
diffused upon us rather by the way of holy 
affections, than of sublime thoughts. A 
beautiful thought of God, without charity, 
is nothing better than a crystal lamp with- 
out oil. Provide yourself with oil to feed 
the flame, and with a shade to protect it. 
" Quench not the spirit. " Do not expose 
it to every draught of air. A breath will 
extinguish it. Shade it within your heart, 
and jour heart will fail you sooner than 
the light. 

fIDeMtation 

fox THHe&nes&a£ wttbin tbe ©ctave of 
tbe Bscension* 



"Best Comforter, Sweet Guest of the soul, Sweet 
Refreshments ' 



First Prelude : Represent to yourself the 



164 Manual of Meditations. 

Blessed Virgin, with the Apostles and Dis- 
ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 

Second Prelude: Ask for an ardent zeal 
in the service of your Heavenly Master. 

I. POINT. 

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter. He is 
the G-od of all consolation, and therefore, 
the best Comforter. But the best is also 
the only Comforter. If He is to comfort 
you, you must be alone with Him. If you 
listen to other comforters, you will silence 
Him at once. In displeasure at the little 
respect you show to His person, and the 
light esteem in which you hold his word, 
in seeking consolation elsewhere, He will 
turn His face from you, and leave you to 
talk with the serpent who flatters, and 
deceives you. Of whom do you complain 
that you do not experience spiritual con- 
solation? Complain of the cause of your 
desolation, which is yourself. You want 
consolation within, because you have sought 
it too eagerly without. You hunt after 
pleasure here and there, like Esau, by the 
perilous ways of the world. If you would 
stay at home, like Jacob, your mother, a 
good conscience, would bring you savory 
meats whereby to obtain the twofold bless- 
ing of your Father: "The dew of Heaven 



Feast of Pentecost. 165 

and the fatness of the earth. " Does the 
Holy Spirit lack the art or power to prepare 
for you wholesome food? and food even 
pleasing to your natural taste, so that it 
cannot be corrupted? "Who so delight- 
ful/' says St. Austin, "as He who made 
all things which delight us ?" I would have 
you believe without putting it to the test of 
experience, that there is no true consolation 
to be found in the world. 

There are but a few drops of will and 
poisonous honey. "Only a little honey, " 
said Jonathan, "and now I must die." 
Seek not your consolation, then, where it 
is not to be found. Beseech the Holy 
Spirit to shed over the delights of the 
world a salutary bitterness which may 
detach you from their baleful joy, that 
you may taste and see His sweetness. So 
shall that best comforter abide in your 
spirit. 

II. POINT. 

The Holy Spirit under my roof! "And 
whence is this to me!" Who has moved 
Him to come ? His own sweet goodness 
alone. I had driven Him away; and does 
He return? Yes, the Gruest of my soul! Oh! 
most loving Gruest. And where was I when 
I sought Thee? Nay, when I did not even 
think of seeking Thee, thou wast before 
me. And I had lost myself. 



166 Manual of Meditations. 

But now, I know not whence, nor how 
thou hast come and art within me. Oh, 
my heart ! and dost thou not perceive His 
presence! Oh, all that is within me, adore 
Him, thank Him, serve Him; in one word, 
love Him. Ah! take good heed not to dis- 
please nor offend Him. He abides, and 
will eternally abide within you. You are 
more truly in Him than in yourself. Oh, 
my Grod, may I be present with Thee with 
a loving presence, even as Thou dost 
vouchsafe to be present with me; I am 
not content that thou shouldst be with me 
as a guest: Thou art the Master of the 
house, dwell in it as its Master. Dispose 
of it as Thou wilt. I do not lend it to 
Thee, I do not lend it to Thee on hire, I 
give it to Thee, I make it over to Thee, 
from the foundation to the roof. Thou 
alone shalt dwell therein, for it belongs to 
Thee alone. Thou didst make it, Thou 
hast repaired it, what further right have I 
to it? Write over the door "This is the 
Lord's house. " But if Thou art its sole 
and absolute Founder and Master, forget 
not, Lord, that it belongs to Thee to 
maintain and furnish it. I have no means 
to keep it in repair. Thou seest in what 
ruin and disorder it is. At Thy coming, 
at a glance from Thee, all shall be restored 



Feast of Pentecost. 167 

and beautified; but it must be at Thine 
own cost. Oh! be it so, as I hope in Thy 
grace. Sweet G-uest of the soul, depart 
from it no more ! 

III. POINT. 

If the Holy Spirit with His consoling 
presence takes up His abode with you, 
what strength and refreshment will you 
experience ? Refreshment in trouble. So 
great will be your interior joy, that all 
exterior trials will give you little or no 
pain. If misfortune visits you, you will 
say that it is the loving touch of Grod's 
hand, and you will adore and kiss it, even 
because it strikes you. You will rejoice in 
tribulation, because it pleases Grod to afflict 
you for His glory and your profit. Nay, 
though even it were to be of no benefit to 
yourself, you would desire out of pure love, 
"Either to suffer or to die;" or rather, "to 
suffer, and not to die." Refreshment in 
temptations : What have you to fear, if the 
Holy Spirit be with you, and wholly on 
your side? Who will dare to approach you? 
Who will be able to overcome you? If only 
you forsake Him not, He will bear the 
brunt of the battle for you. He watches 
for you, and will give you timely warning. 
He hovers round you to keep you waking. 
He keeps His eye on the movements of the 



168 Manual of Meditations. 

enemy. He hastens to the weakest part of 
your array, and beats back the threatened 
assault. He pioneers the way before you, 
and breaks the shock of the enemy. No 
danger can befall you unawares, no ne- 
cessity find you unprovided. What ample 
provisions! what impregnable defences! 
What triumphant sorties against the foe! 
Closed gates, double entrenchments, innu- 
merable fortifications — make use of all 
these means of strength and power where- 
with the Holy Spirit assists you, fights with 
you, and conquers within you, and then 
lose courage if you can. 



flDeMtation 

fox Uburs&as, ©ctav of tbe Bscenston, 



"In labor rest, in heat, coolness, in 
weeping solace.' * 



First Prelude : Eepresent to yourself the 
Blessed Virgin, with the Apostles and Dis- 
ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 

Second Prelude : Ask for grace to hearken 
co and diligently follow the inspirations of 
the Holy Ghost. 



Feast of Pentecost. 169 

I. POINT. 

Our whole life is a tissue of labors and 
toils. Let us chose the state which pleases 
us best, we shall find them everywhere. 
But, oh my God, if we lose all our labor, 
what a loss will it be! To labor so hard, 
and to gain nothing, when we might not 
only reap a sure harvest, but obtain great 
relief in our toil. The Holy Spirit, who is 
the first mover of our work is never idle. 
He is ever in movement for our benefit, nor 
is He ever subject to weariness. Oh! if you 
would but only labor after His example and 
in His spirit, you would find sweet repose 
in the midst of your labors, He who toils 
for love of the glory of the Holy Spirit, 
feels not the burden of his toil; or if he 
feels it, he finds it to be light, indeed, and 
far sweeter than idleness. "In labor rest." 
All your disquietude proceeds from dis- 
order. Your affections are misplaced : what 
wonder if they cause you pain! Establish 
your heart first in its center, and in union 
with its last end, and you will feel no 
weight. You must balance it by the move- 
ments of the spirit, and then, having found 
the medium of virtue, it will remain stead- 
fast and immovable. The superior part of 
your soul must serve as a continual balance 
and counterpoise to the inferior, so that it 



170 Manual of Meditations . 

may not be depressed by excess of sadness, 
nor elated by excess of joy. Seek your rest 
where you will, you will never find it, ex- 
cept in God. Solomon sought it before 
you, in all the enjoyments of the world. 
But he found there nothing but vanity and 
vexation of spirit. Do you hope to find 
anything better? Neither will you find 
anything ; — you will find a mere nothing 
behind its empty show. Never will a heart 
capable of receiving the Infinite Good find 
rest, until it rest in Thee, most Blessed 
Spirit! Wherefore, then, vainly seek peace 
where it is not to be found? "Peace! peace! 
and there is no peace" in the world. Live 
in harmony with the Holy Spirit, and He 
will give you that true peace which none 
but He can give. But remember that He 
gives it not to the slothful and negligent, 
He gives it only to the valiant who labor 
and toil, instead of indulging in ease and 
pleasure. For he who labors by the grace 
of the Holy Spirit, beside the reward of 
His labor, receives the added boon of rest 
in motion. 

II. POINT. 

Your heart is between two fires. Alas! 
it is on fire; it will soon burn to ashes. A 
third fire is needful to preserve and keep 



Feast of Pentecost. 171 

it alive. Irascibility is an evil flame, con- 
cupiscence a worse. Between the two, how 
shall a heart of flesh and blood escape? 
What defence is there against all the fire 
and sulphur wherewith the spirits, of evil 
and the senses, sometimes more malignant 
still, add fury to the flame? Unless the 
pure, beautiful flame of holy love come to 
its aid, the heart will assuredly be suffocated 
and perish. It is the only remedy for so 
fearful an evil. Not that irascibility and 
concupiscence are evil in themselves ; they 
may, and they ought to serve as instru- 
ments to the end for which they where 
created: irascibility, to encourage; and 
concupiscence to allure you to follow after 
your true good. But they have been so 
corrupted, that, unless corrected and regu- 
lated by the Holy Spirit, they produce end- 
less disorders and abuses. I do not say that 
they should be annihilated, but rather that 
they should be moderated. You ought 
always to be in fear on this account, and 
never to trust to them, because they are 
still wild animals, and hard to be bridled. 
You need good light and long habit to be 
able to discern when anger is just, and 
appetite harmless. Passion easily deceives 
us, especially in the spiritual life; zeal is 
not always true zeal, nor every affection 



172 Manual of Meditations . 

holy which we take to be such. Measure 
them always by the rule which the Church 
proposes to you. Examine if your zeal 
spring from the spirit of Christ, or of Elias, 
or it may be, of Belial. Observe, further, 
that a mild temperature, whether in nature 
or in the soul, has something unspeakably 
pleasing and healthful; that, therefore, 
from such a spirit should arise a certain 
tranquillity and sweetness, so that grace 
and reason, and never vice and nature, 
should bear supreme sway over your pas- 
sions. Oh! that your spirit may be ever 
uniform and even! Beware of extremes. 
The spirit of wisdom is the teacher of 
sobriety. He will have neither defect nor 
excuse. Moderation lasts long. Do not 
take this maxim in the sense that you are 
to do little. This is a most false inter- 
pretation. He is moderate who is master 
of himself. You will ascertain to what 
degree of moderation your spirit has at- 
tained, by the manner in which you bear 
unexpected and difficult trials. You will 
need time and labor to arrive at the per- 
fection of this grace. But he who begins 
will not fail to arrive at it, if only he turns 
not back again. Many have arrived at it 
who were like you, and even less than you. 
Follow the Holy Spirit, who is the spirit of 



Feast of Pentecost. 173 

firmness and consistency, and donbt not. 
You will succeed according to the due 
measure of your state. But if , from time 
to time, by Grod's permission some sparks 
of evil fire kindle within your heart, raise 
your eyes and voice to Heaven, and cry, 
like the three holy children in the fiery 
furnace, — "Behold, our Lord, whom we 
worship, is able to deliver us," and you 
will feel a soft air breathing around, and a 
heavenly dew falling upon you. 

III. POINT. 

Oh! What sweet tears are those which 
the Holy Spirit causes us to shed. He 
makes us weep, — at the thought of Heaven 
with holy desire — over our sins in peni- 
tence. He makes us weep tears of tender 
devotion. It is a weeping full of all con- 
solation. Do you weep? Of what kind are 
your tears ? Are they conformed to the 
Spirit of Jesus Christ? If not, they are not 
good tears. You weep, perhaps, for the 
things of the world, because you can no 
longer rejoice with the world. Ah! this is 
a senseless weeping, worthy itself of many 
tears. The Spirit of the Lord moves not 
over such waters to make them fruitful. 
Restrain your tears; and if you cannot 
help weeping a little over some earthly 



174 Manual of Meditations. 

sorrow, at least make your tears fruitful, 
by guiding them through the channel of 
patience to their source, which is the will 
of Grod. Oh! if your tears be given to the 
miseries of your soul, they will be sweet 
and profitable indeed. There is a time to 
weep and a time to rejoice; but, in truth, 
there is no better time to rejoice than when 
we weep, with all our hearts over the evils 
of our hearts. 0, what sweet tears! There 
will never be an end of weeping, until Grod 
wipes away the tears. In this life we are 
in the valley. The waters flow downwards. 
Thy Holy Spirit will draw them upwards, 
and they will ascend to the eternal hills. 
Oh, that you had the gift of tears. Desire 
it, at least, with the thirst of the wounded 
heart, and the very thirst for tears shall 
begin to solace you amidst your weeping. 



flfceMtation 

jFor 3Fri&a$ after tbe ©cta\>e of tbe 
Bscension* 



"Wash what is defiled, water what is dry, heat 
what is wounded." 



First Prelude ; Represent to yourself the 
Blessed Virgin with the Apostles and Dis- 
ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 



Feast of Pentecost. 175 

Second Prelude : Let us entreat the Holy 
Spirit to remove from us all obstacles that 
would prevent us from receiving Him with 
the fullness of His gifts. 

I. POINT. 

Sin is the stain of the soul; and, oh! 
what stain! It is the very same which 
makes the devil hideous. If an angel was 
so fearfully deformed by one single sin of 
pride, how loathsome, deformed and mon- 
strous is a man defiled by many sins. All 
the waters of the deluge would not suffice 
to wash away a single sin. Yet, one drop 
from the fountain of the Holy Spirit is 
sufficient to purify them all. most effi- 
cacious water! The good king David, who 
had shed so many tears, never ceased to 
ask of God's great mercy water, and still 
more water, to purify and cleanse his con- 
science more and more. 

The guilt of his offence was already par- 
doned ; nevertheless, he cried continually ; 
"wash me yet more," And you? Alas! 
too soon do you wipe away your tears; 
nay, perhaps you think with scorn of 
shedding them. How much have you wept 
over your past and buried sins? But why 
do I speak of them? Do you even desire to 
weep with all your heart over your new and 



176 Manual of Meditations. 

daily transgressions? Alas! G-od grant that 
you may not look upon them with calm 
and cheerful eye. 

The vain and proud soul, which will not 
look into herself to see what she is, nor 
whether she is becoming fairer in the sight 
of God, compares herself with some more 
hideous soul, saying that she is not as bad 
as they, seeks for a flattering mirror, and 
if, by chance, she meets with one which 
does not deceive her, but faithfully reflects 
her image, she is angry; and, if she does 
not break it, she departs and looks upon it 
no more. "He goeth his way, and for- 
getteth what manner of man he was." Be 
not you like these : forget not your miseries, 
consider their multitude and their heinous- 
ness; there will always be much to weep 
over, and to be cleansed more and more. 
Nothing impure can enter Heaven, nor can 
the Holy Spirit make His paradise amid 
defilement. Beseech Him to cleanse your 
will, your memory, your understanding, 
your imagination, all your powers, whether 
internal or enternal, that no stain or 
shadow of a stain be left upon any of them. 
Cleanse even the least and most hidden: 
even those which you know not: even 
those which lurk amidst the white linen 
of your good works. Cleanse from head to 



Feast of Pentecost. Ill 

foot, the whole extent of your thoughts and 
your affections. Unless you be pure of 
heart, you cannot behold the face of the 
Holy Spirit. However pious, devout and 
beautiful may be the Novena which you 
make to Him, unless you die to sin, what 
fruit will it bear for eternal life? The purifi- 
cation of the heart is of absolute necessity 
to him who has loaded and infected it with 
evil humors. Oh! if the Holy Spirit vouch- 
safe to cleanse and purify you, though you 
were blacker than an Ethiopian, you would 
be made at once whiter than snow, ''Wash 
me, and I shall be made whiter than snow." 

II. POINT. 

The tempest of sin has been fearful; it 
has devastated your vineyard. It has left 
you nothing good, but that poor little stem 
of dead faith. It has carried away every- 
thing else — vintage, and fruit, and flowers. 
Everything is dried and burnt up : to restore 
it, it is necessary that the Holy Spirit should 
plant it again, and water it, thus giving it 
life and increase. Oh! if He will but water 
it, merits will flourish once more, virtues 
will bud, good w^orks will spring up. There 
shall be no more vestige of barrenness and 
desolation. All will be cultivated, all will 
be fruitful. He says not rain but water. 



178 Manual of Meditations. 

The rain conies now and then, but the 
waters of the fountain are ever at hand: 
Therefore, do you beseech Him to give you 
the ever flowing waters of His grace. A 
water not only common to all, which even 
falls fruitfully upon the wicked, to their 
greater condemnation, but that special 
stream which by your faithful use of it, 
shall produce its full effect. Water which 
flows whithersoever it is needed, not like a 
shower of rain, which does all its work 
without your help, but like a stream for 
which you must labor to provide a channel 
for your special need. Here observe that 
you are not the owner of the fountain ; you 
only enjoy the use of the water. According 
to His own order, not according to your 
will, says St. Cyprian, does the Holy Spirit 
minister His grace to us. Nevertheless, you 
must take it when it is offered to you, and 
not trust that it will be always time enough, 
because it is an open fountain ; who knows 
that you may not one day find it closed ? 
Take care that it does not overflow; or 
stagnate by the way: see that the aque- 
duct be not brocken or choked up, but 
that the whole of it, even to the very least 
drop, may find its way, and penetrate even 
to the root. "The barren tree shall become 
like the tree planted by the waterside, which 



Feast of Pentecost. 179 

bringeth forth itsfruit in due season, whose 
leaf also shall not wither." 

III. POINT. 

Look upon yourself as a paralytic, as a 
leper, as one of that multitude of lame, 
dropsical, and sick of every kind, whom 
our Lord miraculously healed. Thus to 
imagine yourself covered with the loath- 
some wounds and sores will excite you to 
horror and compassion for yourself, and, 
in truth, this gangrene of sin is far more 
horrible: Therefore, great reason have you 
to cry, "Heal what is wounded." For if 
the wounds be healed, there may, never- 
theless, remain the scars of some evil habit. 
God grant that there may not still be left 
the source of some evil humor. You may 
still need balm to strengthen the injured 
parts, and antidotes to preserve it from 
future injury. The remains of past illness, 
— such as weakness in resisting dangerous 
occasions, dizziness of the head when think- 
ing of God, palpitation of the heart in our 
intercourse with the world, and so forth: 
all these require His healing power. To all 
these malignant affections, ask Him to apply 
the touch of His healing hand to effect a 
perfect cure. The soul, which, before its 
sickness, cared little or nothing for health, 



180 Manual of Meditations. 

having now learnt caution at its own ex- 
pense, must live carefully, like a convales- 
cent. The Holy Spirit has given it a good 
rule of health. It fears, and will ever fear, 
every kind of danger and disorder ; it will 
avoid going too much abroad, be careful as 
to diet, make use of every means of sup- 
port; above all, it will have frequent re- 
course to the Physician, often consulting 
Him, and repeating continually: "Heal 
what is wounded. 77 But, if you desire a 
perfect and permanent cure, make use of 
the remedies prescribed for you, obediently 
and generously. Be not so much afraid of 
the necessary means of painful cure — 
penance, vigil, and prayer. Again, what 
avails it to say, "heal, heal," if you would 
be treated at your own caprice ? You would 
soon become worse than before. God grant 
that while you are prescribing rules and 
measures to your physician, you may not 
perish suddenly by some mortal and incur- 
able disease. 



fIDeMtation 
jf or tfoe B\>e of Pentecost* 



First Prelude : Represent to yourself the 
Blessed Virgin, with the Apostles and Dis- 
ciples assembled in the Cenacle. 



Feast of Pentecost. 181 

Second Prelude : Ask to fully participate 
in the gifts and fruits of the Spirit of Love. 

I. POINT. 

"Bend what is rigid. " A docile heart is 
what the Holy Spirit requires of you ; but 
in order to obtain it, it is necessary that He 
should give it to you, and that you should 
desire it. If you desire it, ask it of Him, 
and you will obtain it. In the spiritual 
course there is nothing more dangerous 
than rigidity of will. How can a plant be 
brought to perfection which is determined 
to grow its own way? Oh, fallacious inten- 
tions, which are sometimes most crooked, 
when they seem to us most direct. The 
gardener finds great trouble from certain 
hard and difficult knots in the wood. They 
are wholly opposed to his sweet and gentle 
spirit. He would not have you stubborn 
in your own opinion; he would have you 
docile and yielding to his will. The most 
certain tokens that we are not erring from 
the way of God, are " Obedience' ' and 
"Humility." They shall all be taught of 
God. Like meek and simple sheep who 
trust to their shepherd and follow Him. 
You are not docile because you are not 
meek and detached. Your affections are 
entangled; you cannot detach them and 



182 Manual of Meditations. 

bend them according to the will of God. 
He presumes too much upon himself who 
would be his own teacher and guide; no 
one is a fitting judge in his own cause. 
Your offering is not acceptable to the Lord 
because your own will, not His, is found 
therein. Bend, then, bend. Let the un- 
changeable maxim of your willing or not 
willing be this: Grod wills or wills not. 
\ 'Not what I will but what Thou wilt. ' ' If, 
in things otherwise good and holy, it is 
fitting we should resign ourselves to Grod's 
disposal, what must be said of those who 
desire to live and believe without reference 
to His counsels or suggestions? Never say 
that you have made a resolution never to 
forgive such a person, or other purposes of 
the like sinful kind. No ; make other and 
better vows for some greater good, and 
not with regard to frivolous and forbidden 
things. Inflexibility in evil is the character- 
istic of Lucifer, and not of man, far less of 
the wise man who knows how to change 
his purpose at a fitting time and place. 
Woe to the mariner who refuses to steer 
and alter his course according to wind and 
tide. As to Faith, who will dare to prefer 
his own opinion to the Sovereign Pontiff's 
Sacred Councils, holy Fathers; to martyrs, 
miracles, theologians, princes, people, and 



Feast of Pentecost. 183 

all the witnesses and confessors of the 
Catholic Faith? Let there be in you what 
St. Austin calls a goodly credulity, a cer- 
tain facility and promptness to love and 
revere all divine revelations and ecclesiasti- 
cal traditions. Thus will the Holy Spirit 
continually mould your heart, and more 
according to the heart of God. "Thou wilt 
give Thy servant a docile heart. " 

II. POINT. 

You have already said : " enkindle ; ? ? but 
it is not enough that the fire be kindled ; 
that its first heat be kept up strong and 
bright, it needs to be continually fostered, 
and, therefore you add: "warm." But do 
not wait to say this when you are at the 
point of death. No, say it continually to 
the Divine Spirit, that He may be pleased 
to remain within your heart, and to stimu- 
late its fervor. Woe to you, if the ardor of 
your holy purposes and exercises should 
grow cold. You would gradually arrive at 
the freezing point. To-day you would omit 
one devotion, to-morrow another; and too 
soon, alas! that great fire which was en- 
kindled when you were converted to Grod, 
would leave no token behind it but dust 
and ashes. Warm, then, and that more 
and more. Do not dream that you can 



184 Manual of Meditations. 

keep up that fire in a lower degree. Not 
only is the state of tepidity most hateful to 
God, and most pernicious in itself, but it is 
the doctrine most commonly received, and 
confirmed by experience, that it cannot last 
long. How can you endure such icy cold 
within, such furious winds without? I do 
not wish to extinguish by fear that little 
spark of charity which still shines in your 
almost darkened heart. "Quench not the 
smoking flax." I would only warn you 
that, if now, when the Holy Spirit is 
breathing upon you with more than His 
wonted sweet vehemence, you still remain 
cold, your state is not far from hopeless. 

III. POINT. 

Oh ! how far has he wandered out of the 
way who walks not in the light of the Holy 
Spirit ! "Would you know whether you are 
in the right way, that is, in the way of your 
vocation ? Lift up your eyes to Heaven. If 
there shines over your head the leading 
star of a holy purpose, take courage and 
persevere. You are in the right way. But 
if you are in doubt which way to take, or 
have already entered upon some dubious 
path, turn to the Holy Spirit, and ask Him 
to guide and direct you. Only in the road 
of sin, which is the road of perdition, you 



Feast of Pentecost. 185 

may not walk ; it is a road too full of diffi- 
culties, wide though the entrance be. Turn 
back, O you who repent that you have 
entered it, for it is yet time. All other 
roads of the different states which are in 
the Church of Grod, are fair and good. It 
is true that one is shorter, surer, or more 
direct than another; but you may walk 
along any of them with your cross on your 
shoulder, right onward to Jesus who stands 
waiting for you at the end of them all. We 
see some who walk more swiftly on their 
way, and nearer to their Leader. Remem- 
ber you are a religious; you can and you 
ought to travel along it with swift steps to 
the perfection which belongs to your state. 
"Why so many disgressions and delays? A 
traveller does not take up his abode in the 
country through which he is passing, nor 
fix his affections upon it. You are like a 
poor pilgrim who has to pass but two or 
three days in the world ; and Oh ! with how 
many useless things do you burden your- 
self, while you neglect to provide yourself 
with the true Viaticum — the Viaticum for 
the other world. You treasure up every- 
thing for this world, nothing for the next. 
Take a little more thought, I beseech you, 
for your journey. Whither goest thou? To 
Paradise, your country. Death comes to 



186 Manual of Meditations. 

meet you ; and your life, whether sinful or 
holy, follows after you. You linger by the 
side of this pleasure which flies from you ; 
by the fountain of that gold which van- 
ishes away; by the shadow of that honor 
which forsakes you in a moment. O sweet, 
swift Spirit ! most holy Spirit ! most lumi- 
nous Spirit! make the crooked straight, 
and be ever a lamp to my feet, and a light 
to my path. O Holy Spirit, sweet Com- 
forter, who proceedest in an ineffable manner 
from the Father and the Son, come, I be- 
seech Thee, and enter into my heart. 
Cleanse my soul from the stains of sin; 
sanctify it, heal its wounds, bend its stiff- 
ness, warm its chill, and guide its way- 
wardness; make me truly humble and re- 
signed ; and do Thou ever rest upon me, O 
most Blessed Light! Light of all loveliness, 
be Thou shed upon me ! O Fountain of most 
pure delights! give Thyself to me, and en- 
kindle in my breast the fire of Thy love. 
Teach Thou me, O my Grod! Guide and 
protect me in all things. Strengthen my 
spirit against an undue weakness of pur- 
pose; vouchsafe unto me a right faith, and 
unswerving hope, and a sincere and perfect 
charity; and grant that I may always do 
Thy most gracious will, that I may find 
that peace upon earth which Thou hast 
promised. 



Brief Sfcetcb 

OF THE TWO FOUNDEKS OF THE 

Congregation of tbe Sisters of St* 
Josepb of ipus* 



Mgr. Henry de Maupas du Tour. 



Henry Cauchon de Maupas du Tour, 
Bishop of Puy, belonged on his Mother's 
side, to the noble family de Condi, and 
hence had the happiness of being brought 
up under the direction of St. Vincent de 
Paul. 

He was, despite his opposition, appointed 
Bishop of Le Puy in 1644. On Oct. 15th 
1650 he established in his Episcopal City, 
at the suggestion of the Rev. John Paul 
Medaille, a celebrated Missionary of the 
Society of Jesus, the "little Institute" of 
the Sisters of St. Joseph, as he loved to 
call it, in imitation of St. Francis de Sales, 
who delighted in thus speaking of his 
beloved Visitation. 

In 1659, he wrote the first life of St. 
Francis de Sales, and in dedicating the 
same to Pope Alexander VII, he says: — 
"Without detriment to the esteem which I 

(187) 



188 Brief Sketch. 

have for other Orders, I have wished to 
institute the humble Congregation of the 
Sisters of St. Joseph on the model, and in 
the same spirit, as that of the Sisters of 
the Visitation, before they embraced en- 
closure/ 7 

In 1660 he went to Paris to pronounce 
the funeral eulogy of St. Vincent de Paul; 
and in 1661 he was translated to the See of 
Evreux. In the course of the same year he 
was sent to Rome to introduce the cause of 
the Canonization of St. Francis de Sales. 
He died in the odor of sanctity, full of age 
and merit, in his City of Evreux, Aug. 12, 
1680. 

While certain excavations were being 
made for the erection of a new high altar 
in the Cathedral of that City, the remains 
of Mgr. de Maupas were discovered on the 
26th of Feb. 1895, still clothed in the Sacred 
Vestments, with a rosary on the arm which 
extended to the feet. 

In the tomb was found a leaden plate, 
bearing in Latin the full inscription: — 

"Henri de Maupas du Tour, Bishop of 
Evreux and formerly of Puy, Abbot of St. 
Denis of Rheims, and of the Isle of Chau- 
vet, in the diocese of Lucon. He died 
August 12, 1680, aged . . . ." Father of the 

Poor" The rest of the inscription 

was, unfortunately, completely effaced. 



Brief Sketch. 189 

It is much to be regretted that the Epitaph 
of this saintly prelate was partially obliter- 
ated. But what remains: — "Father of the 
Poor" contains in itself a whole history of 
holy deeds and precious merits , so as to 
entitle him, apart from the filial love and 
reverence due him as Founder of our Insti- 
tute, to our profound respect and sincerest 
veneration. 

Reverend John Paul Medaille, S. J. 
Founder of the Institute of St. Joseph of Puy. 



This venerable Father was born at Car- 
cassonne, in the South of France, on the 
future feast of St. Francis de Sales, Jan- 
uary 29, 1618. Having entered the College 
of Tournon at the age of fifteen, he was 
admitted into the Society on the 15th of 
August, 1640. According to the historian 
of the Society at Toulouse, where he had 
entered, he was first employed to teach 
Grammar and the Humanities in the same 
College, for the space of several years; 
later on, he taught philosophy for six years, 
and afterwards became preacher and Mis- 
sionary which office he exercised with the 
zeal and fervor of an apostle. 

He was a fervent disciple of St. Francis 



190 Brief Sketch. 

Regis, and after having been formed in the 
school of this Saint, he was sent to the 
same missionary fields in which this great 
Saint had labored and preached before him. 
In every way the disciple was not unworthy 
of the Master: for his labors, like those of 
his predecessor, St. Francis Regis, brought 
forth fruits of holiness and charity in 
abundance. The districts of Velay, Au- 
vergne, Languedoc, Aix and Avignon — 
wherever he preached — gave proofs of his 
charity and apostolic zeal. 

To enhance and perpetuate the work of 
his missions, he established everywhere 
fervent confraternities of men and women, 
who gave themselves to the exercise of all 
the works of mercy, both spiritual and cor- 
poral. Thus the fruits of his zealous labors 
were everywhere preserved, and multiplied 
exceedingly. 

It was during the period of his Apostolic 
Ministry that our Venerated Father found, 
in the various fields he evangelized, some 
fervent, holy souls whom he believed to be 
called to the religious life, yet who had also 
a marked attraction for the exercise of works 
of charity in behalf of the neighbor. 

Being convinced that an association of 
religious women which would embrace this 
twofold end, would do great good in the 



Brief Sketch. 191 

Church, he became most anxious to procure 
such a foundation. The concurrence of a 
Bishop was, however, necessary, and Father 
Medaille having been called to preach the 
Lent at Le Puy, in 1649, communicated his 
design to the Bishop of that City, well 
knowing his sublime virtue and extra- 
ordinary zeal for the glory of God and the 
salvation of souls. That prelate at once 
heartily entered into his views, since he 
himself had been persuaded that it was 
G-od's will to have carried into effect the 
idea which St. Francis de Sales had had so 
much at heart in founding the daughters of 
the Visitation: namely, "to unite the duties 
of Martha and Mary, the exterior works of 
charity with the repose of contemplation." 
At the request of Mgr. de Maupas, 
Madame Lucretia de la Planche, a noble 
widow, who had often aided him in his 
plans for the glory of Grod, consented to 
receive the members of the new Institute 
into her house; and there, under the direc- 
tion of Eev. Father Medaille, they made the 
necessary preparations for their entrance 
into the religious state. On the fifteenth 
of October, 1650, the Bishop gave them the 
Habit in the Chapel of the Orphan Asylum 
of Le Puy, which he then committed to 
their care. Placing them under the pro- 



192 Brief Sketch 

tection of the glorious St. Joseph whom he 
gave as their Model, he ordained that they 
should henceforth be known as the "Sisters 
or Daughters of St. Joseph. " 

The rules were prayerfully elaborated by 
the two Founders, on the basis of those 
given by St. Francis de Sales to the first 
Visitandines, and which Bishop de Maupas 
called "the best guarantees for the future 
of the new Institute;" — Father Medaille 
added thereto others drawn from St. Igna- 
tius : — All were formally approved by the 
Prelate, March 10th, 1651. m 

After having exercised his laborious and 
most fruitful apostolate for the space of 
eighteen years, our sainted Father was 
recalled to Toulouse where, in 1672, he 
was appointed Spiritual Father of the Pro- 
fessed House. He died some years later, 
at Auch, in the seventy-first year of his 
age, May 15th, 1689, in the odor of sanc- 
tity, and as says his biographer "they 
mourned, while invoking him." 

His interest in the Congregation he be- 
queathed to Rev. J. Peter Medaille, also a 
celebrated Missionary laboring in the same 
districts as he himself had done before him, 
and Author of the "Meditations sur les 
Evangiles de Fannee," who lived for some 
time with him in the College of Toulouse, 



A 



Brief Sketch. 193 

and who died Spiritual father of the same, 
Sept, 8, 1709, at the age of 73. 

Although he did not create the foundation 
of our Institute, as was by some writers 
erroneously believed, he sustained the work 
of the elder Father and propagated our 
Institute, wherever his missionary labors 
called him. 




J 



OCT 4 1899 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Jan. 2006 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

111 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township. PA 16066 
(724)779-2111 



